I kind of have a thing for Thai food. It’s kind of like the thing I have for Mexican food, Indian food, and all things fruity and green blended together (ahem)…
But sometimes, nothing quite satisfies like a classic, hearty Asian dish, and this beautiful yellow curry recipe is exactly that (you know, minus the heavy cream, greasy vegetables, and deep fried tofu).
I don’t know why but making Thai curry dishes have always intimidated me. Maybe it’s because all of my 20 something year old attempts at making an authentic tasting, but still healthy yellow curry have never turned out so good…
… but this yellow curry leaves nothing left to improve upon. It’s creamy, rich, spicy, a tad bit sweet and with the udon a giant bowl of warmth just waiting, ready for you to take it in. Even though it requires a list of ingredients it’s actually quite simple to make, and the result is a complex marrying of flavors that tastes like your grandma’s secret recipe (if your grandma is Asian, and from Thailand, of course).
The thing I love most about this curry is that it can be customized any way you like. Depending on how mild or spicy you want it, you can add in or leave out the chili flake. You can substitute the broccoli, carrots and pea pods with any of your favorite veggies… and on days you’re feeling extra lazy, you can just skip the veggies all together and in no time just cook up a big pot of the tofu curry itself. You can serve it with udon or even just some of your favorite brown rice.
And not to mention, it re-heats quickly in one pot (add a bit of water) and tastes great as leftovers on days you just don’t feel like cooking at all!
- 9 ounces udon noodles
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 6 tablespoons shoyu sauce
- 12 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into thumb-sized slices (1/2 inch thick and 1 inch long)
- 1 cup large diced carrots
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup pea pods, cut in half
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon natural cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 cup chopped peanuts, roughy chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- your favorite Sriracha sauce
- First heat up a dry non-stick sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and then the tofu. Next, add 2 tablespoons shoyu sauce and pan fry the tofu until a nice golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Next, heat up the same pan to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and then the carrots, broccoli, and pea pods. Next, add 2 tablespoons shoyu sauce and pan fry the veggies for a few minutes. You want them to be cooked but still have a nice bite. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and set aside.
- You can start making the curry as the noodles cool. Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in large sauté pan. Add the garlic, onion and curry paste and mash it together while it cooks. Cook until nice and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tofu and gently stir until coated with the curry paste. In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut milk, water, turmeric, 2 tablespoons shoyu, sugar and salt. Pour the mixture into the pan and gently bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and red pepper flakes (if using). Finally add the noodles and veggies, and stir to combine.
- To serve, heap big piles of the noodles into individual bowls and ladle with more curry. Top with a generous handful of chopped peanuts and some cilantro.