Recipe #8 RED Curry with Tofu and Vegetables
This week we're heading to Southeast Asia for inspiration for making the most of winter's produce. The flavors of Thailand - rich and creamy coconut milk, red curry (corinader, cumin, chiles, lemongrass, galangal), salty and umami-packed fish sauce and bright, fresh basil or cilantro - make for an easy and flavorful curry, served over rice. Jarred or tinned curry paste (we like Maesri brand) make this a super quick and easy weeknight supper. You control the heat of the finished dish by altering the amount of curry paste, though beware of the burst of head clearing vapors when the paste is added to the Dutch oven: a vent hood or open window is your good friend here
2-3 cups zucchini or other quick cooking vegetable like cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, frozen peas, hardy leafy green - cut into bitesized pieces
3-4 cups slower cooking root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, winter squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, rutabagas (used in the photos here), white or red potatoes, radishes - peeled and cut into small cubes
1 brick extra firm tofu, cut into 1" cubes
2 Tbsp canola oil
2-4 Tbsp red curry paste (to taste)
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
2-4 Tbsp basil or cilantro
lime wedges
Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot add tofu cubes in single layer and cook until golden brown about 3 minutes, turn and cook on opposite side. Remove tofu to plate.
Add curry paste to oil remaining in Dutch oven and stir fry 1-2 minutes. Add slower cooking vegetable and stir fry about 10 minutes to coat in curry paste/oil mixture, until starting to soften.
Add coconut milk and simmer 10 minutes. Add quicker cooking vegetable, red pepper, tofu and fish sauce, simmer gently until vegetables are just tender, 5 or so minutes.
Serve over jasmine rice, sprinkled with cilantro or basil, with lime wedges on the side.
4 servings
