Vegan Thai Curry with Crispy Tofu
Red Thai curry with coconut milk, colorful vegetables and golden brown fried tofu, ready in 35 minutes.
- Preparation
- 15 min
- Cook/bake time
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 751 kcal
- Servings
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cooking & baking
- 20 min
Red Thai curry with coconut milk, colorful vegetables and golden brown fried tofu, ready in 35 minutes. The curry paste is briefly roasted in coconut fat, which allows it to unfold its full aroma and gives the sauce depth like at the Thai restaurant around the corner.
Why this works
Roasting curry paste in fat is not a cosmetic step. The flavor compounds of galangal, lemongrass and chili are fat soluble and only dissolve in hot oil. If you add the paste directly to the coconut milk, most of it remains unused and the curry tastes flat. With tofu, it is all about water. Pressed tofu browns because the pan can heat it up instead of having to evaporate liters of liquid first.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Fry the tofu until crispy
First pat the tofu really dry and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Mix the cubes with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and the cornstarch, so they get a great crust later. Fry the tofu in 2 tablespoons of hot coconut oil until golden brown all over and give it enough time so that it gets really crispy. Then take it out of the pot and set it aside briefly.
- 2
Roast the curry paste
Heat the remaining coconut oil in the same pot and add the red curry paste. Roast it for one to two minutes while stirring until it smells intense and the oil turns red. This step is the secret to a sauce with real depth, so do not skip it under any circumstances.
- 3
Pour in the sauce
Pour in the coconut milk and stir in the curry paste completely. Bring everything to a boil once and then let the sauce simmer gently for about 5 minutes so that it becomes creamier and the flavors really combine.
- 4
Cook the vegetables
Add the broccoli and bell peppers to the sauce and let them cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are al dente. The snow peas are only added in the last 2 minutes, so they stay crisp and keep their fresh green color.
- 5
Season to taste
Now season the curry with the remaining soy sauce, the juice and zest of the lime and the agave syrup until the balance of salty, sour and sweet is right for you. Fold in the crispy tofu and serve the curry with fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts.
Our best tips
- Press the tofu for 15 minutes beforehand by weighing it down between paper towels, so it gets extra crispy.
- Curry pastes differ greatly in spiciness. Start with 2 tablespoons, then add more if needed.
- Jasmine rice goes well with this, or cauliflower rice for the low-carb version.
Tasty variations
Green Curry
Replace red with green curry paste and use Thai basil instead of cilantro.
With sweet potato
Cook sweet potato cubes in the sauce for 10 minutes, making the curry more filling.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 751 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 25 g |
| Carbohydrates | 30 g |
| – of which sugar | 18 g |
| Fat | 59 g |
| Fiber | 8 g |
Where the 751 kcal come from
per serving
These lines have no quantity (“to taste”) or no table value, so they are missing from the total.
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
Is red curry paste always vegan?
No, classic Thai pastes often contain shrimp paste. Look for the vegan label in the supermarket or buy organic quality.
Which tofu is best?
Firm plain tofu. Silken tofu falls apart when frying. Smoked tofu also works and brings additional flavor.
Can I meal-prep the curry?
Yes, it keeps for 3 days in the fridge. It is best to store the tofu separately and only add it when reheating so that it stays crispy.
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