Thai Red Curry With Lentils And Tofu Food

THAI RED CURRY TOFU

Steps:

• Drain and press the tofu (follow my how to press tofu guide for additional information) to remove excess moisture and water. Once pressed, slice the block into 1-inch cubes and pat with a clean kitchen linen or paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.
• Combine the coconut milk, red curry paste, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking the mixture until smooth. Reduce to low heat. Add the fish sauce and lime leaves. Simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, and keep warm while you prepare the tofu and vegetable mixture. Discard the lime leaves before using.
• While the sauce thickens, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, non-stick skillet (12-inch diameter) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the tofu pieces and spread into a single layer, setting them apart slightly. Season with salt. Sear the tofu pieces for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, flipping until lightly golden on all sides. Transfer to a large plate and set aside.
• Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and increase to high heat. Add the green beans, a generous pinch of salt, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly blistered. Add the diced ginger, garlic, and jalapeño pepper and sauté for 30 to 45 seconds, stirring frequently, or until fragrant. Add the onion and red bell pepper to the pan, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing frequently, until the green beans are tender and the onion and bell pepper have softened.
• Add the tofu back into the pan and pour the warm curry sauce over the mixture, gently tossing the mixture. The sauce should sizzle as it hits the pan. Continue cooking until the tofu is heated through and the mixture has thickened. Stir in the juice of half a lime and the chopped cilantro. Season to taste with salt or fish sauce as needed.
• Serve the curry over steamed coconut rice (or jasmine rice) with lime wedges for squeezing. Garnish with cilantro and Thai basil leaves, if using.

THAI RED CURRY WITH LENTILS AND TOFU

Steps:

• 1 Spread the tofu on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and let it drain for at least 20 minutes
• 2 Gently press dry with paper towels and season with the salt and pepper
• 3 Pour the oil into a large skillet over medium heat
• 4 Once the oil shimmers, add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute
• 5 Stir in the water, miso and lentils, increase the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a gentle boil
• 6 Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and about two-thirds of the liquid has been absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes
• 7 Stir in the coconut milk
• 8 Add the tofu, bell pepper and snow peas, and increase the heat to medium-high
• 9 Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is warmed through and the vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 minutes
• 10 Off the heat, stir in the basil and lime juice
• 11 Taste, and add more salt, as needed
• 12 Sprinkle with the scallions and serve

RED LENTIL AND TOFU CURRY

Steps:

• Thinly slice onion and mince garlic. Peel gingerroot and mince. In a sieve rinse lentils and drain. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan cook onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Add gingerroot and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add lentils and water and gently boil, uncovered, until lentils fall apart, about 20 minutes.
• While lentils are boiling, rinse tofu and trim ends. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and gently press between paper towels to remove excess moisture.
• In a small heavy skillet heat remaining tablespoon oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook cumin seeds, stirring, until a shade darker, about 1 minute. Add garam masala, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Stir hot spice oil into lentils and gently stir in tofu cubes. Let curry stand, covered, 5 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Stir in cilantro and salt to taste.
• Serve curry over rice.

RED CURRY LENTILS WITH SWEET POTATOES AND SPINACH

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the browned sweet potatoes to a plate and set aside.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot and set the heat to medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the curry paste, garlic, ginger, chile and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the lentils, stock, salt and browned sweet potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil over high. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Add the coconut milk and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the lentils are creamy and falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the spinach and stir until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.
• Divide among shallow bowls and top with cilantro and coconut flakes, if using.

TOFU LENTIL CURRY

Steps:

• Drain tofu, and squeeze water out with your method of choice, being careful not to crumble tofu. Dice tofu and toss with 1 tbsp of curry powder. Set tofu aside and allow it to absorb flavor while prepping vegetables.
• After dicing vegetables, heat oil in the bottom of a stew pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add tofu. Allow tofu to sear until brown for a couple of mins, then turn them and allow the other sides to brown. Add diced onion, garlic, and bell pepper, and saute until onions are translucent. I like my carrots soft, so I microwave or boil them for a few mins before adding them, but feel free to add them straight in if you like.
• Add coconut milk, the remaining curry powder, cinnamon stick, and water, increase heat to medium high, and stir. While curry is coming to a simmer, rinse lentils well in a colander and add when a simmer is achieved. Simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, or until lentils are cooked soft to the tooth. If your family prefers a thicker consistency, add water/corn starch mixture now and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and add peas. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste, and serve with or without rice. Garnish with crumbled cashews if desired.