This red curry tofu recipe was born of 1. conversations I have with people in my everyday life who tell me that when they look at our blog, they go directly to the “Quick and Easy” section and 2. the response to our recent roundup of Traditional Chinese Vegan Recipes, which told me that y’all definitely want more vegan recipes!
A Vegetarian Thai Red Curry
So I was perusing our local Asian market the other day, throwing things into the cart as I am wont to do, and I was restocking our supply of Thai curry pastes, when I realized that I’ve never done a vegetarian or vegan red curry dish!
Sure, we have red curry chicken, and red curry coconut noodle soup, but nothing that vegans and vegetarians alike could enjoy.
So I moseyed on over to the tofu section, and picked up a couple packs of these:
Fried tofu triangles, which are great at soaking up whatever sauce you put them in! You could also use soy puffs, firm tofu, or really any other tofu you like in this dish. If you’re new to the bean curd arts, check out our tofu ingredients page for more info on the different types available.
I kept the triangles whole for this recipe, but you can cut them in half if you’d like smaller pieces. Cutting them will also help them soak up more sauce!
This dish also has all the hallmarks of our Quick and Easy recipes. Not many ingredients, but tons of flavor. I used Maesri Thai red curry paste, which is flavored with chilies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal, and other spices.
Just a few tablespoons of the stuff mixed with coconut milk make for a delicious sauce, soaked up by the tofu and vegetables. Vegans rejoice! Carnivores, give it a try. You won’t miss the meat. :)
Red Curry Tofu Recipe Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and chopped tomatoes, and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the Thai red curry paste and fry for another minute.
Add the coconut milk and water (or stock), and bring to a boil.
Add the tofu puffs, turn the heat down to medium low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the snap peas and bell peppers…
And simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
Season with salt to taste, and serve.
I prefer to serve this red curry tofu on a bed of steamed jasmine rice!
Vegan Red Curry Tofu
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 tomato (chopped)
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 1/4 cups coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
- 1 pound fried tofu triangles (tofu puffs, firm tofu, or any other tofu you like)
- 1 cup snap peas (washed and trimmed)
- ½ of a red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and chopped tomatoes, and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the red curry paste and fry for another minute.
- Add the coconut milk and water (or stock), and bring to a boil. Add the tofu, turn the heat down to medium low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the snap peas and bell peppers and simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
So delicious and comforting especially in the colder weather. Thank you for another meal with complex flavors that is easy to make!
You’re welcome!
Met my husband’s family this year and have picked out several of your vegetarian dishes (I’m veg, they are not) and so far every choice has been a hit. This one was praised specifically for how good it smelled.
Glad to hear that Brianna!
A gentle correction: it’s “y’all,” not “ya’ll.” A very understandable and common mistake. It can help to think of apostrophes as replacements for missing letters and/or spaces; in this example, the original words are “you all” so the apostrophe is standing in for the O, U, and space.
I love your blog and only offer this correction respectfully and out of a true desire to help it be as pitch-perfect as possible. I also happen to be a freelance writer and editor w/over 20 years’ experience, so if you ever have occasion to hire a professional to proofread and polish up your posts, give me a shout—I’d be delighted to work with y’all! :)
Thanks for the heads up, Nicole!
Hi- Love your website! Would putting both firm tofu and fried tofu together be ok?
Hi Jane, that would be fine if you’d like to use both! You might consider pan-frying the tofu first so it doesn’t break up in the sauce, as it is quite delicate.
This looks great, and SIMPLE. Lovely article. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Catherine!
I love your blog and your recipes. Keep the vegan ones coming. Thank you! I especially appreciate that you make it easy for us non-pros to cook them.
Thank you Barbara! We have many more vegan recipe ideas. :)
Hi!
Everything I make from your recipes turns out great and immediately gets pinned to my Winners! board. This is such a great resource. Thank you!