Every now and then I will make a dish that after I take the first bite; I know it will have a place in my “go-to” recipe collection. The following is such a recipe. It even got a full mouthed 2 thumbs up from my husband.
Speaking of the husband, the inspiration came from the fact that my he loves red curry. In fact, I have rarely seen him veer from this choice anytime we dine out at a Thai restaurant. When making my meal plan last week I decided to take a chance at making red curry for the hubby at home. I searched several recipes online and found that many of them were lacking in one way or another. So… I put on my artistic chef’s hat and pulled from several recipes to make up the following. One of the things I felt lacking in most recipes is that they didn’t have many vegetables in them. There could be a reason for this but for me, I LOVE to pack my meals full of vegetable goodness. So here you go. Let me know what you think. We LOVE spice in our household so I am a little heavy handed with the Sriracha. I suggest adding it in small amounts until you find the right spice level for you.
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
- 1 14 oz. package extra-firm tofu, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 14 oz. can light coconut milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2-3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped into ½” pieces
- 5 oz. cremini mushrooms , sliced
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. lime juice
- Salt, to taste (¼ – ½ tsp.)
- Sriracha, to taste (I like it spicy so I add A LOT)
- Assorted Garnish: Lime wedges, Fresh cilantro, chopped & Green onions, julienned
Directions
- Heat 2 tsp. canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and sauté, stirring often until brown and crispy, Approx. 8-10 minutes. Transfer out of pan to a plate.
- Heat remaining canola oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add coconut milk, broth, red curry paste, bell pepper and mushrooms. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is almost tender.
- Add cooked tofu and brown sugar; return to a simmer and cover, cooking for an additional 2-4 minutes.
- Just before you are ready to serve stir in lime juice, salt and Sriracha.
- Serve with a scoop of brown rice on top* and sprinkle with garnish.
*Note: I learned a tip from a Rachael Ray that when serving curries and the like, it is best to serve rice on top of the curry instead of the other way around so that the rice doesn’t soak up all the liquid immediately. Good tip.
Recipe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars