Red Curry with Tofu

My take on a veggie-packed tofu red curry. I adore curries of all kinds - Thai, Indian, you name it, I’ll try it! This is an easy-to-make, simplified tofu curry that can be thrown all together in the Crock Pot (see recipe notes), or cooked on the stove. Make it for meal prep or for dinner tonight with friends!

P.S. If you don’t do TOFU, never fear! See the recipe notes at the end of this post for alternatives.

I served my tofu curry with sprouted lentils, which lent a favorable crunch and subtle pepperiness to the curry. For more traditional serving, use rice. Or be adventurous and try this curry with other grains, such as farro or barley!

Yield: Meal Prep - Five meals for one person.

Served as a meal - Five servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pkg firm tofu (14 oz).
• 2 TB sesame oil.
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced or grated.
• 1 large or 2 small white or yellow onion, diced.
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped.
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed.
• 1/2 pound mixed sliced bell peppers (frozen okay).
• 1/2 pound mushrooms.
• 1/2 pound (1/2 bag) frozen peas.
• 1 tsp each: red pepper flakes, allspice, turmeric, black pepper.
• 2 tsp each: ground ginger, salt.
• 2 TB curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen Gluten Free Red Curry Paste, available at most grocery stores).
• 1 can coconut milk.
• 1 tsp sambal oelek aka red chile paste. (or more to taste).
• 1 cup almond milk (or other preferred milk).

DIRECTIONS

1. Open, drain and press tofu. If you’ve never pressed tofu before, check out this how-to. You can do this step one day in advance, if preferred. The tofu will be crumbled into the curry later anyway, but I prefer the taste after pressing.
2. When tofu is ready and pressed, crumble into bowl and set aside.
3. In a large fry/saute pan or wok (if you have it) add sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Saute the carrots, onion, garlic and jalapeno for about 7 minutes, until soft.
4. Add bell peppers and mushrooms. Saute for another 5-7 minutes.
5. Stir in curry paste, sambal oleek (if using), and all seasonings. Let the flavors combine for about 3 minutes. Then add coconut and almond milk. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes, allowing the flavors to build and incorporate. On low heat, this could simmer for an hour to really build a depth of flavor.
6. Add frozen peas. Simmer for another 10 minutes until the peas are warm. Taste and adjust spices to your preference as needed. For those that enjoy some kick, add more sambal oleek!
7. Serve with rice or couscous. I served mine with sprouted lentils for meal prep!

RECIPE NOTES:

• Make this recipe in the Crock Pot by adding all ingredients (except peas) and cooking on low for 3-4 hours. Add peas about 20 minutes before serving.
• To make in the Instant Pot, add all ingredients (except peas) and cook on the “Slow Cook” setting for 3-4 hours, on low, no pressure. Add peas about 20 minutes before serving.
• If the thought of tofu makes your skin crawl, simply omit. (I’d encourage you to give it a second chance, particularly if you’ve never actually tried it!) Add in some chicken, pork or beef in its place. Be sure to fully cook raw meat and safely handle. A quick & easy option would be shredded rotisserie chicken.

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Enjoy!