It’s no secret we love butternut squash and certainly no secret the Instant Pot is a good friend of ours. Putting the two together? It had to happen! This Instant Pot butternut squash soup is creamy, comforting, quick and easy, plus warm and spicy than…
It’s no secret we love butternut squash and certainly no secret the Instant Pot is a good friend of ours. Putting the two together? It had to happen! This Instant Pot butternut squash soup is creamy, comforting, quick and easy, plus warm and spicy thanks to a touch of Thai red curry paste.
It’s perfect for chilly days and meal prep and pairs beautifully with everything from peanut tempeh to salads and spring rolls.
This sweet potato curry recipe with chickpeas makes an irresistible healthy dinner! It stars luscious coconut milk and Thai curry paste.
When it comes to healthy recipes, here’s a plant-based dinner that’s just as satisfying as a margherita pizza or chili cheese fries (we think). Try this Sweet Potato Curry! Tender sweet potatoes and bell peppers swim in a luscious broth of coconut milk and Thai curry paste, topped with fresh cilantro and crunchy peanuts. There’s so much flavor going on, you’ll want to take another bite before you’re finished savoring the first. Welcome to: your easy weeknight dinner soulmate!
The origin of curry
What’s the origin of a curry? The word “curry” is a Western invention to poorly describe the nuance of what colonizers observed in foreign cuisines (see Bon Appetit). Today, the term is pretty broad: it’s used to describe any dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread. It’s made in many countries with varying flavor profiles, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, England and more.
This recipe is loosely based on a Thai or Southeast Asian-style red curry using red curry paste and coconut milk. After traveling in Southeast Asia, we fell in love with the flavors of ginger, garlic, galangal, lime and lemongrass. Sweet potato and chickpeas aren’t traditional ingredients in this type of curry (though pumpkin is); so this is a non-traditional spin on the concept.
Ingredients in this sweet potato curry recipe
This sweet potato curry is a fantastic easy dinner recipe that makes vegetables taste irresistibly rich and nuanced. The broth uses the shortcut of curry paste to infuse massive flavor into each bite. Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:
Red curry paste: we like Thai Kitchen brand because it’s flavorful yet not too spicy! See below for more notes
Coconut milk: Use only full-fat or regular here for the right richness and body
Peanut butter
Lime juice (optional)
Olive oil
Red curry paste: what to know
Red curry paste is a shortcut for Western kitchens, not an authentic ingredient: it’s a jarred paste that takes all the flavor of a Thai curry and concentrates it! Curry paste is made with chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, cumin, coriander, and more. It brings a massive amount of flavor and lasts for months in the fridge. A few notes on this ingredient:
The heat level varies based on the brand. We like Thai kitchen curry paste because it’s very mild (and works for our 4-year old!). There are many great brands to try: just make sure to taste your curry paste and if it’s very spicy, use a little less than the recipe specifies.
Find it near the Thai products in most grocery stores. It keeps for months in the refrigerator. You can also buy it online: Thai Kitchen red curry paste.
Ways to serve sweet potato curry
This sweet potato curry is a Southeast Asian-style curry, so it’s best served with rice. (Reserve naan for an Indian-style curry.) That makes it a vegan and gluten-free dinner recipe that’s packed with flavor. Here are the best styles of rice to serve alongside:
Jasmine rice : Jasmine rice is also called Thai fragrant rice because of its popcorn-like nutty flavor. Here’s How to Cook Jasmine Rice
Basmati rice: Basmati rice is more often used for Indian-style curries, but also works. Go to How to Cook Basmati Rice.
Chop the onion, sweet potato, garlic, and bell pepper as noted above.
In a large skillet, pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sweet potato and sauté for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the chickpeas (drained and rinsed), coconut milk, curry paste, peanut butter, 1 cup water and the kosher salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the spinach and lime juice and cook until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
Garnish with crushed peanuts and torn cilantro. Serve immediately with rice. Leftovers store up to 3 days refrigerated, or 2 months frozen.
Notes
*The heat level for red curry pastes varies based on the brand. The brand we like, Thai Kitchen, is very mild. Taste your curry paste beforehand and add a little less if you’re worried about the heat level.
This tofu curry recipe is a family favorite! Coconut and red curry paste pack a punch in this quick healthy dinner idea. Here’s a dinner that takes just 30 minutes and results in so much flavor…you’ll put it on your regular rotation immediately. Try this Tofu Curry recipe! The brilliant red broth is flavored with coconut milk and red curry paste, with the zing of lime and a hint of spicy sweetness. The Thai-style flavors are the perfect way to introduce tofu to those wary of it. And if you’re already a lover (like us!), you’ll appreciate this delightfully colorful way to serve it. Here’s what to know! What’s a curry, anyway? The word “curry” is actually a Western invention to poorly describe the nuance of what colonizers observed in foreign cuisines (see Bon Appetit). Today, the word is used to describe a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. “Curry” is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England. In this recipe, we honor the flavor traditions of a Thai-style red curry. After traveling in Southeast Asia and experiencing the flavors of the region, we […]
This tofu curry recipe is a family favorite! Coconut and red curry paste pack a punch in this quick healthy dinner idea.
Here’s a dinner that takes just 30 minutes and results in so much flavor…you’ll put it on your regular rotation immediately. Try this Tofu Curry recipe! The brilliant red broth is flavored with coconut milk and red curry paste, with the zing of lime and a hint of spicy sweetness. The Thai-style flavors are the perfect way to introduce tofu to those wary of it. And if you’re already a lover (like us!), you’ll appreciate this delightfully colorful way to serve it. Here’s what to know!
What’s a curry, anyway?
The word “curry” is actually a Western invention to poorly describe the nuance of what colonizers observed in foreign cuisines (see Bon Appetit). Today, the word is used to describe a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. “Curry” is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England.
In this recipe, we honor the flavor traditions of a Thai-style red curry. After traveling in Southeast Asia and experiencing the flavors of the region, we were impressed by the way Southeast Asian curries capture a wide rainbow of flavors. Coconut milk, ginger, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, chili peppers, sugar, and lime are traditional in Thai and Cambodian curry. Together these flavors make an irresistibly tasty broth! While we don’t have Thai or Cambodian heritage, but this tofu curry recipe honors some of the flavor combinations typical in recipes of that region.
Ingredients in this tofu curry recipe
This tofu curry recipe is modeled after a Southeast Asian red curry, using red curry paste and coconut milk. It’s also packed with veggies that are typical of this style of curry: that happen to pack a big nutritional punch, too. Here’s what you’ll need:
Tofu: look for firm or extra firm for this recipe
Yellow onion
Bell pepper: A medium red bell pepper provides 169% of your daily vitamin C (source)
Garlic
Fresh green beans: You can find long fresh green beans in the produce section in bulk or packaged
Bamboo shoots: Look for them in the canned section! They add a tangy flair that’s uniquely tasty
Red curry paste: The flavor maker! See below for more about this special ingredient
Brown sugar, soy sauce and lime: these make the perfect tangy sweet combination; substitute tamari if desired
Coconut oil: Coconut oil adds a nice coconut scent; we typically use refined but unrefined also works
Coconut milk: Use only full-fat or regular here for the right richness and body
Sambal oelek: Customize your heat level with this hot sauce
More about red curry paste: what to look for & brands
Red curry paste is a jarred paste that takes all the flavor of a Thai curry and concentrates it into a paste. It’s a shortcut for Western kitchens: In traditional Thai cooking, you’d make it with the real ingredients! Curry paste is made with chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, cumin, coriander, and more. It brings incredible flavor and lasts for months in the fridge. This tofu coconut curry is a red curry, so you’ll need red curry paste. A few notes on this ingredient:
It ranges from mild to medium spicy, based on the brand. We like Thai kitchen curry paste because it’s very mild but brings big flavor. But there are many great brands to try. Make sure to taste your curry paste before using it! If it’s very spicy, use less than the recipe specifies.
Find it near the Thai products in most grocery stores. It keeps for months in the refrigerator and you can use it in lots more recipes. You can also buy it online: Thai Kitchen red curry paste.
Add back the heat with sambal oelek or Sriracha
The base of this tofu curry recipe is pretty mild. If you love Thai food, you know: it can be very spicy. We love the heat over here, but more of a medium level. Because we’re always cooking for a 4 year old too, we generally keep our base curry recipe mild and then add hot sauce at the table. Here are some notes about the heat in this tofu red curry:
Use hot sauce to taste! The 1 teaspoon hot sauce in this recipe adds a mild amount of heat. If you’d like medium, double it. For very spicy, use as much as you’d like! As we mentioned, it’s nice to do this in your bowl vs the entire pan: but it’s up to you.
Hot sauces that work well here include:
Sambal oelek, an Indonesian chili sauce made of chili peppers, garlic, ginger and lime. It has a chunky texture and little to no sugar.
Sriracha, a smooth hot sauce that originated from Thailand made of chile peppers, vinegar, garlic and sugar
Garlic chili sauce, similar to Sriracha with a chunkier texture, made with chilies and lots of garlic. It tastes a little brighter than Sriracha and has more nuance.
What to serve with tofu curry: jasmine rice and more
This tofu curry is a Thai-style red curry, so it’s most authentic to serve it with rice. Don’t add naan: that’s for an Indian-style curry! Here’s the best type of rice to serve alongside:
Jade rice (for fun!):Jade rice is a fun option: it’s naturally dyed green using bamboo extract and has a fluffy texture almost like couscous. We served the squash curry this way and it was excellent.
And that’s it! Let us know what you think of this tofu coconut curry. It’s become a favorite around here, and we hope you love it too!
Is tofu healthy?
Last up: let’s clear up one thing. There’s a lot of misinformation around tofu! But eating tofu several times per week is part of a healthy diet. Per to the Harvard School of Nutrition, soy is a nutrient-dense source of protein that can safely be consumed several times a week. It’s likely to provide health benefits, especially when you eat it as an alternative to red meat and processed meat. For more, go to Straight Talk About Soy and Is Tofu Good for You?
More great tofu recipes
While we used to avoid tofu, but it’s now one of our favorites for quick and easy plant based meals! This tofu curry recipe is a whole food plant based dinner that’s full of huge flavor and lots of nutrients. Here are some of our other favorite ways to eat tofu:
Pan fry the tofu: Pat the tofu dry with a towel. Cut it into large cubes (about 1/2 inch x 1 inch). Melt 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the tofu cubes and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and cook 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom. Briefly remove the pan from the heat to reduce spitting and flip the tofu with a spatula. Return the heat to medium high and cook another 5 to 6 minutes until browned. Remove the tofu to a bowl and set aside.
Cook the curry: In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute 5 minutes, until it is translucent. Add the garlic, red pepper and green beans and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the bamboo shoots, red curry paste, coconut milk, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and Sambal oelek (if using). Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tofu and cook about 5 to 8 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the veggies are tender. Taste and add additional Sambal oelek to your desired spice level.
Serve: To serve, spoon the tofu and sauce over rice. Store refrigerated for up to 3 days.
We have a thing for curries and salmon, so we recently decided to marry the two.
The result is a 1-pan, incredibly satisfying and flavorful dinner that’s ready in just 30 minutes. Let us show you how it’s done!
This curry starts with briefly marinatin…
We have a thing for curries and salmon, so we recently decided to marry the two.
The result is a 1-pan, incredibly satisfying and flavorful dinner that’s ready in just 30 minutes. Let us show you how it’s done!
This curry starts with briefly marinating the salmon in a mixture of salt, coconut aminos, and chili garlic sauce for an extra boost of flavor. In a pinch, this step can be skipped!