Tofu Panang Curry Food

PANANG CURRY WITH CRISPY TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wrap the tofu in paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Set a cast iron skill over the tofu to squeeze out the moisture. Leave for at least 5 minutes.
• Unwrap tofu and discard the paper towels. Cut the tofu into small 1/2-3/4 cubes. Sprinkle the tofu cubes generously with salt.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and the tofu cubes. Sauté for 5 minutes, flipping to cook on all sides, until the tofu has a light golden crust on all sides.
• Transfer the cubes to a baking sheet and place them in the oven for 12-15 minutes to crisp. Set the large cast iron skillet back on the stovetop to reuse.
• Meanwhile, chop the onions and peppers into rough 1-inch pieces. Mince the garlic. Then crush the kaffir lime leaves to help release their oils.
• Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining coconut oil. Once the oil melts, add the onions. Sauté for 1 minute, then add the peppers and garlic. Sauté another 2-3 minutes.
• Move the veggies to the sides of the skillet and add the panang red curry paste and peanut butter to the center of the pan. Sauté the curry for 2-3 minutes to intensify the flavor, moving around the pan. Then add the kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, and fish sauce. Stir to blend.
• Lower the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until the curry thickens. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the basil leaves and crispy tofu. Serve with rice, quinoa, or noodles. *You can also ladle the curry into bowls and top with crispy tofu instead of stirring it into the curry.

PANANG CURRY WITH TOFU AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Combine water, brown rice, soy sauce, and salt in a rice cooker. Cover and cook according to manufacturer's directions, about 35 minutes.
• Heat vegetable oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add curry paste; cook and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, white sugar, and lime leaves. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Stir in tofu, broccoli, red bell pepper, and carrots. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender but not soft, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Serve panang curry over brown rice.

VEGAN PANANG CURRY TOFU

Steps:

• Add 2 tbsp of oil, water or broth to a large skillet with the diced onion, garlic and carrot. Cook for 6-7 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until starting to soften and become fragrant.
• Add the zucchini and red pepper and stir to combine, adding a bit more cooking liquid if the pan is drying out.
• Add the tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric and salt and cook for a few more minutes, stirring to combine.
• Add the vegetable broth and coconut milk and simmer lightly until the carrots are tender and it's thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally as it cooks.
• Stir in the maple syrup, peanut butter, cilantro and cubed tofu and cook for a few more minutes until the peanut butter is combined and the tofu is heated through.
• Serve over basmati, brown rice or quinoa.

PUMPKIN PANANG CURRY

Steps:

• Clean the pumpkin and save the seeds for baking later (if you like). Cut the pumpkin skin off, leaving the stiff orange meat. A small pumpkin will yield a lot of meat, so feel free to freeze the chunks you don't use, that way you can make this recipe again a week from now.
• Start your rice so that it will be hot and ready right when the curry is finished. I recommend one cup per plate at the table.
• Dice the pumpkin meat into ~ 1" cubes. Set aside 4-6 cups of the chunks, and refrigerate or freeze the rest.
• Place your wok or stew pot on the stove on med. high. Add the olive oil and allow it to reach stir-fry temperature. (approx. 1 minute).
• Dice the onion and sautee in the olive oil until golden. (approx. 2 min.).
• Cut the meat into chopstick-accessible sized pieces, and add to the pot with curry paste. Stir them together while they heat, mixing the flavors. The meat should be browned on the outside, but not overdone (approx. 5 min.) Use the fan on your stove, as the curry paste may waft strongly during this phase.
• Shake the coconut cans well and pour them into the pot, be sure to scrape any coconut residue out from the cans, as they tend to settle.
• allow the coconut milk to reach a boil, then turn the heat down to medium. (approx. 5 min.).
• Mix in the pumpkin chunks, and let the mixture simmer. This will soften the pumpkin and further mix the flavors. (5-7 min.).
• Slice the carrot and add it to the mix. Simmer 3 minute.
• Slice the bell peppers and add them to the mix. These cook faster than the pumpkin, and will wilt if left to simmer too long, they should still be a bit crispy. (3 min).
• test the vegetables and ensure they are reaching the right softness, mixing the curry to encourage flavor distribution.
• When they do, remove from heat and add the brown sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. Adjust the salt level by adding more fish sauce if desired. Adjust the sweet/sour by adding more lime juice if desired.
• To serve, place 1/2-3/4 cup of cooked rice on a plate or bowl, then place a large scoop of curry on top. Be sure to get pieces of meat and pumpkin, and plenty of broth.
• Tear the thai basil leaves into largish chunks, and spread a few on top of the curry, then serve.

VEGETARIAN PANANG CURRY

Steps:

• Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots, ginger, and garlic and let cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in peanut butter, turmeric, cumin, and curry paste and let cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Whisk in water, coconut milk, lime zest, brown sugar, and salt until combined.
• Add tofu, sweet potato, and kale, and bring to a boil. Let simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Stir in lime juice and adjust seasoning to taste.
• Garnish with cashews and serve over rice or quinoa.