Pan-Fried Tofu With Red Curry Paste
Published Feb. 22, 2023
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound extra-firm tofu
- 2tablespoons canola oil
- 2tablespoons store-bought or homemade Red Curry Paste
- 4small baby green eggplants (each roughly the size of a golf ball), stemmed and quartered (see Tip)
- 1medium red or white potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1small red bell pepper, stemmed, halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½cup sliced bamboo shoots (drained if using canned)
- 1(14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
- 2tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
- 2tablespoons finely chopped fresh Thai or sweet basil (see Tip)
- 3cups cooked jasmine rice (from about 1 cup uncooked rice)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
626 calories; 35 grams fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 792 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
To press the tofu, drain it and place it on a cutting board or plate between paper towels. Press down firmly with your hand to get rid of the excess moisture. Pat the tofu dry then cut it into 1-inch cubes.
- Step 2
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil appears to shimmer, add the tofu cubes and stir-fry them until they turn light brown along the sides. Transfer them onto a plate.
- Step 3
To the same oil, carefully add the curry paste. Stir-fry the potent melange, as the chiles elevate their heat and send you into a throat-clearing moment, 1 to 2 minutes. Yes, adequate venting or opening a window is advised.
- Step 4
Add the eggplant, potato, bell pepper and bamboo shoots to the curry paste. Shake the coconut milk well, pour it over the vegetables and scrape the bottom of the pot, deglazing it.
- Step 5
Add the tofu and fish sauce and bring the curry to a boil. Cover the pan, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and eggplant are fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. During the last few minutes of cooking, remove the lid and continue to simmer, uncovered, to allow the sauce to thicken a bit.
- Step 6
Serve sprinkled with the basil alongside a bowl of jasmine rice.
- Baby green eggplants can be found in Southeast Asian supermarkets or farmers’ markets. If you cannot find them, you can use about 6 ounces of any variety, cut into bite-size pieces.
- Thai basil, which is peppery with an anise-like flavor, adds an extra layer of refinement to this curry, but sweet basil can be used instead.
Private Notes
Comments
If you don’t want to make your own curry paste, I’d recommend using Mae Ploy paste. Usually accessible at H-Mart, T&T or even Amazon, it’s the curry paste of choice for many immigrant families. Much better value, the tub lasts for many dishes, and much more flavorful when compared to Thai kitchen pastes!
Quick and easy! Used extra firm tofu from Trader Joe’s and it was easy to press. I would suggest omitting the potato for yellow zucchini and marinading the tofu. The flavor was relatively mild when I followed the recipe and I think marinading the tofu first would help with that. Also added some Szechuan chili crisp for added heat and texture.
I used bok choy instead of eggplant and for the red curry used garlic instead of shallot and only had coriander seed, dried chilis, and cumin seeds - no other ingredients for the curry. Still came out great.
This is great with some modifications. I added garlic and ginger before the curry paste; used eggplant, green beans, red peppers, and carrots as vegetables; used 2 cans of coconut milk; used cilantro instead of basil, and added a bit of lemon juice.
This is a flexible and tasty dish. I left out the potato and added a chopped onion in its place. I used a large eggplant and tossed in some green beans with the bell pepper. I wasn’t able to add bamboo shoots or Thai basil. I probably used closer to 3tbsp of good curry paste. Despite the many modifications, it was simple, delicious and quick.
Didn’t have enough coconut milk, so added some cream. Doubled the curry paste which made it too intense so added a little more cream. Therefore became soupier but the husband loved it. Added kaffir leaves (sorry, can’t remember the new name) and maybe it helped.
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