tofu thai red curry

the entire time i was pregnant with claire, i craved thai food – one weekend i ordered it 3 times! my favorite is tofu red curry. i’ve never thought about making it at home because tofu has always intimidated me. that was, until i read this tutorial by pinch of yum. the video shows step by step how to make tofu (which is surprisingly very easy and straightforward). i tried it this week and OMG – the results were amazing! this will definitely be on my weekly rotation.

ingredients:
1T olive oil
1 block tofu
1/2 large onion, chopped
2T red curry paste
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced and chopped into 2″ pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced and chopped into 2″ pieces
1 small zucchini, sliced
1c frozen broccoli
1c frozen green beans
2t freshly grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 13.5oz can coconut milk
1T cornstarch
2T low sodium soy sauce
2T fish sauce
2T lime juice
1T brown sugar
1t dried basil
1t black peper

garnish:
lime zest
fresh basil, juliened
lime juice

instructions:

1. layer 10-12 squares of paper towels on a cookie sheet. put the tofu on the paper towels and place a cast iron skillet filled with canned goods on top. let set for at least 30 minutes. this will squeeze the juices out of the tofu, making it tastier!
2. cut the tofu into cubes
3. heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium/medium high and add the tofu. turn every few minutes so that each side gets a crispy brown.
4. add the chopped onion and red curry paste and cook until the onion is translucent. then add the bell peppers, zucchini, green beans, broccoli, ginger and garlic and saute a few minutes.
5. add half the can of coconut milk to the skillet. then, mix the remaining coconut milk with the cornstarch and add it to the skillet along with all remaining ingredients (but not the garnishes!)
6. bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the veggies reach desired tenderness.
7. garnish with the optional fresh basil, lime zest and lime juice.
8. serve over jasmine rice and add sriracha to taste

i made this on a week night and it took less than 30 minutes start to finish! the next time i make it, i’m going to serve it with homemade na’an bread and try making some summer rolls! let me know if you try it and what you think!