Coconut Red Curry With Tofu

By Melissa Clark

Updated August 17, 2022

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
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Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(5,188)
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

  • 14 ounces extra-firm tofu

  • 1 tablespoon peanut or safflower oil

  • 1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced

  • 2 shallots or 1 small onion, minced

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 Thai chile or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems

  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

  • 3 tablespoons prepared red curry paste

  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

  • 2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

  • Zest and juice of 1 lime

  • 1 cup snow peas

  • Basil and/or cilantro leaves, for garnish

  • Brown or white rice, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

24 grams carbs; 1 milligram cholesterol; 311 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 560 milligrams sodium; 14 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

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
5,188 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.

Eliza

Really good. Pressed the tofu with my cast iron skillet and then fried it in there for some extra crispiness - slowly getting the hang of it. Added some bell pepper and switched snow peas for broccolini because this is what I had. So satisfying! Will enter the regular rotation.

Brooklynite

I've made this several times; last night by accident I grabbed a tub of tom yum paste instead of chili paste (they're from the same company -- same size and color). Not as spicy as I'd have liked (I remedied that with some chili crisp) and a little salty but quite tasty. I used zucchini (what I had on hand), low-fat coconut milk, and made a bit of cornstarch slurry with about a tsp. of soy sauce and some water to thicken the sauce. Next time I'll look more carefully!

Donna V

This is a great recipe that can be adjusted to your preferences in terms of heat, we usually double the Thai chilis and I sometimes substitute cubed chicken when we want variety.

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