TOFU PANANG CURRY

SERVES : 2

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COOKS IN : 15 MINUTES

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DIFFICULTY : MEDIUM

Is there anything better than a Thai curry?! I just love the aromatic flavours, mixed with the spice & creamy coconut milk finish. I’m a big fan of curries with a perfect blend of sweet & savoury, much like most Thai style dishes, but if the sweet aromatic’s are not for you, then this is the Thai curry to go for.

Where other dishes rely on lemongrass & coriander for their unique flavour, this dish is rich, creamy & bursting with savoury flavours. I’ve spent a fair bit of time in Thailand, ate my way through an unholy amount of Panang curries and most certainly didn’t go bored.

This recipe will make enough paste for 2 portions of curry, but you can double, treble or make as much paste as want for future use. The paste will keep in the fridge for up to a week and you can freeze it to last for months.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• Red chilli (to taste)
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 carrot
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• Zest of 1/2 lime
• Thumb sized piece of ginger
• 2 tbsp of peanuts (or peanut butter)
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• Soy Sauce
• Firm tofu
• Veg of choice (I like babycorn, mangetout & pepper)
• 1 can of coconut milk
• Kaffir Lime leaves (optional)

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Toast your cumin seeds & peppercorn for a couple of minutes and then pop into a blender
2. Fry your onion, carrot, pepper, ginger & garlic for a few minutes until softened and add to the blender
3. Add your chilli’s (soak the chilli’s in water to make them softer), peanuts, garam masala and lime zest to the blender and blitz into a paste (add a drop of coconut milk to help blend into a paste)
4. In a well oiled pan, fry your tofu for a few minutes until the outside begins to crisp, then add your paste to the pan and stir altogether
5. Add your veg to the pan and a generous splash of soy sauce and fry on a high heat for a couple of minutes
6. Turn down the heat and slowly add the coconut milk. Simmer for a few minutes and add in the kaffir lime leaves for some extra tang.
7. Serve with rice or noodles and some chilli flakes for an extra kick.