Coconut Curry & a Cozy Night In

A couple weekends ago, for the first time in a very long time, I found myself with an unplanned, completely free Saturday night.  It had literally been months since I’d had a Saturday night in my own apartment, all to myself, no commitments in sight.  The first thing that popped into my head knowing I was going to have a relaxing night at home: what kind of wine shall I treat myself to - and second - what am I going to cook?! Considering I’d been craving curry for weeks I thought I’d take the opportunity to attempt this seemingly complex dish for my very first time.  Turns out - not so complicated after all...

Whenever I order Thai food I almost always go with panang curry - a slightly spicy, coconut curry served over rice with peppers (I also add extra chili sauce for a real kick).  For my first curry undertaking I knew I wanted something similar to panang, but I also wanted to increase the nutritional benefits by adding more veggies & making it as healthy as I could.  In an effort to eat less meat when possible (attempting to find balance) I decided I would also use tofu in the dish instead of chicken - something I had never purchased or cooked with before in my life.  Yes, I’d eaten tofu before, but few enough times that I could count on one hand.  This ingredient was somewhat of a mystery to me, but I took the plunge & decided I’d learn as I go. 

A little bowl of heaven

A lot of people think they don’t like tofu.  If it’s a textural thing then ok...I get it.  But if it’s a “taste” issue, let me let you in on a little secret: tofu is virtually tasteless on its own, but when combined with other flavors & spices it acts as a glorious little sponge, soaking up whatever pot or bowl of goodness it basks in.  A new friend who often cooks with tofu also taught me that you should press the tofu before using it.  You see, tofu is packaged in water (similar to real mozzarella cheese) so you need to squeeze out the excess water in order to make room for those lovely flavors you're creating.  I loved the tofu in this recipe & it felt good to enjoy a hearty dish that didn't include meat.  Tofu is not only a good source of protein, but it's also naturally lower in calories & fat than its meat counterparts.

Now, I did enjoy a loaded bratwurst at the ballpark Monday night - but I’ve also been exploring more healthy, non-meat dishes to make at home lately - again...that whole balance thing.  It’s also fun to challenge myself to cook something that has ingredients I’ve never worked with before.  This recipe also includes rice noodles, another item I'd never prepared at home - super easy & a nice alternative to regular rice.  I’m all about expanding my culinary repertoire & encourage you to do the same.  

Step outside your comfort zone & see where it gets you...you just might find yourself elbows deep in spicy coconut curry, sipping red wine & enjoying your own fabulous company in your cozy apartment as you catch up on flicks.  Hitting the reset button that night felt damn good.

Things you'll need

Getting into the tofu

A good time to press it

Serrano pepper | These little babies pack quite the punch

Veggie me

Smelled heavenly

Rice noodles | Uncooked (top) | Cooked (bottom)

Curry goodness

A few minutes before I devoured this

Ashley's Spicy Coconut Curry with Tofu

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients

- 1 package firm tofu
- 1 (13.5 oz) can light coconut milk (I used Whole Food 365 organic)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce (or red curry paste; I planned to use paste initially but the grocery store was all out) -- [leave out if you don't want it to be spicy]
- 2 tblsp curry powder
- 1 1/2 tblsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- juice from half of 1 lime
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced up into the green
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Serrano pepper, seeded & thinly sliced [can also leave out if don't want any spice]
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced into chunks
- 1 large carrot, peeled & chopped
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 1 tblsp coconut oil (optional; I added to the simmering curry for digestive & energy benefits)

- ground black pepper to taste
- sriracha sauce to taste

- 1/2 of 1 package of rice noodles (I used Annie Chun's Pad Thai Rice Noodles)


Directions

Open tofu and cut block in half (unless you want to use the whole block - your call).  Place tofu on top of a paper towel folded in half & press lightly down on the top of the tofu, so the water is squeezed out and absorbed by the paper towel.  Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes and set aside.

In a large pot on the stove add the coconut milk, vegetable broth, soy sauce and chili sauce and slowly bring to a soft boil.  Reduce heat to low and add the curry powder, turmeric & brown sugar - whisk and let simmer while you prepare the vegetables.

Seed and dice the Serrano pepper and mince the garlic.  Dice green onions until well into the green portion.  Peel the carrot and then dice into desired size.  Dice red bell pepper into 1 inch pieces (or desired size).  Add lime juice & all veggies including garlic to the simmering pot of curry (ok to add peas still frozen) and turn the heat up to medium.  Let simmer, close to a rolling boil, for 5 mins, then add the tofu and continue to simmer over medium heat for another 25 mins, stirring every few minutes.  If including coconut oil, add to the simmering curry - it will melt immediately.

Cook the rice noodles according to package directions.  Drain noodles after cooking, run under cold water and drain again.  Serve curry over noodles in over sized bowls and add black pepper & sriracha (for extra heat) to taste.

Enjoy!