Coconut Red Curry With Tofu

By Melissa Clark

Updated Aug. 18, 2022

Coconut Red Curry With Tofu
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(4,936)
Comments
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This simple weeknight red curry relies on jarred or canned red curry paste for flavor, which you can find at larger supermarkets and specialty markets. Transfer leftover canned curry paste to a jar, top it with a little oil and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Or freeze for longer storage. Feel free to substitute other vegetables for the mushrooms and snow peas, though you might have to increase the cooking time slightly if using something dense like carrot or cubed winter squash.

Featured in: Curry and Coconut Milk Fire Up a Weeknight Basic

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4
  • 14ounces extra-firm tofu
  • 1tablespoon peanut or safflower oil
  • 1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced
  • 2shallots or 1 small onion, minced
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 1Thai chile or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 2tablespoons chopped cilantro stems
  • 8ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • ½teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
  • 3tablespoons prepared red curry paste
  • 1cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 2teaspoons Asian fish sauce
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 1cup snow peas
  • Basil and/or cilantro leaves, for garnish
  • Brown or white rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

377 calories; 21 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 561 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

  1. Step 1

    Cut tofu into 1-inch slabs and place on paper towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with another layer of paper towels and place another baking sheet on top. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

  2. Step 2

    Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ginger, shallots, garlic, chile and cilantro stems, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in curry paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, scraping up any curry paste with a wooden spoon. Add fish sauce, lime zest and juice. Add tofu cubes and snow peas. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the snow peas are tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and add more salt and/or fish sauce if needed.

  3. Step 3

    Serve warm with brown rice and a scattering of torn basil and/or cilantro leaves on top.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
4,936 user ratings
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Comments

Luke

I dried the tofu by sandwiching between cutting boards and paper towels with a weight on top. Then coated in olive oil and spices. Baked at 400 for 30 minutes while turning / stirring once in the middle. This makes a firmer tofu cube and allows it stay conisistent while reheating.

Dana

This was excellent. I am vegetarian and we substituted 1 tsp of soy sauce + 1 tsp of warm water for the fish sauce. We also used a little extra coconut milk, thinned with water, to increase the volume of the sauce. I suggest doing a careful mis en place with this dish -- chop and have all ingredients ready in small bowls by the pan -- because it goes fast once you get started.

Autumncook

CAUTION--apparently all red curry pastes are not the same. I made this and added the 3 T red curry paste as called for. It was super hot--my advice--try adding 1T at a time to get it to the level you want. Will try again as I think it would be delicious with the right level of spiciness.

Rachel

Based on comments I did 2 TBSP curry paste (I used Mekhala from Whole Foods), 1 Serrano and the full can of (full fat) coconut milk. Very spicy but I thought the flavor all came together very nicely! Added some brown sugar while simmering in the last step which I think helped the flavor and spice level. Made with chicken breast cut into cubes (added in step 2) because my husband doesn’t like tofu, but next time I would do just veggies or thighs. Overall would make again!

chrissy

This was just okay. Kind of one note. I followed the recipe exactly, but felt like an important note was missing.

JC

As others have noted….I used Mae Ploy red curry paste and was surprised at the ratio of paste to coconut milk, but soldiered on, and boy was I right! Whew! Way too picante and didn’t look or taste quite right. I added the rest of the can of WHOLE fat coconut milk and it was just right. The lime and fish sauce add were perfect. There is a lot of flexibility here in terms of veggies of course. I didn’t have snow peas and used cut-up pieces of broccolini and it was pretty and yummy.

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