Coconut Tofu Curry

This coconut tofu curry is loaded with veggies and crispy tofu bits for a delicious weeknight dinner. It's creamy and not too spicy, so everyone in the family will love it. Bonus: it's ready in just 30 minutes!

Coconut tofu curry is a tasty and filling vegan recipe that pairs a creamy coconut sauce with Thai flavours for the perfect weeknight dinner.

It's just the perfect thing to try when you're craving some takeaway, but you still want it to be healthy.

I love this crispy tofu curry because it's super versatile — you can use it as a blank canvas and make it your own by adding extra veggies and even more protein in the form of chickpeas or beans.

Why you'll love this crispy tofu curry with coconut

• It's tasty and hearty. This coconut curry is extra tasty, and the combination of veggies and crispy tofu makes it hearty and filling, too.
• It's ready in 30 minutes. It only takes half an hour to cook a crispy tofu curry that tastes so much better than takeaway.
• It has a lot of texture. This is the perfect recipe to try if you like textured curries instead of mushy ones.

Ingredients and substitutions

Coconut oil - I like to make this curry with coconut oil because the flavour pairs great with coconut milk, but you can use any vegetable oil you have on hand.

Garlic, ginger and red chilli pepper - Use fresh garlic, ginger and chilli pepper in this recipe for the best flavour.

Green beans - You can add any veggies you want to this recipe. Ideas include cauliflower florets, bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli and peas.

Thai red paste - Using a shop-bought curry paste may not be the authentic way to make Thai coconut curry but it's certainly the quickest. My favourite is the Thai red paste from Blue Dragon.

Adjust the quantity of curry paste according to how spicy you'd like your curry. Alternatively, you can use a Thai green paste to make this a green curry.

Vegetable stock - Use the best quality vegetable stock you can in this coconut curry tofu recipe because it really makes a difference.

Coconut milk - Full-fat coconut milk is best in this red curry because it makes it extra creamy. You can use low-fat coconut milk if you want to cut the calories, but the curry sauce won't be as thick.

Sweet potatoes - You can use butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes.

Lime juice - Add as much lime juice you like — I typically use the juice of a medium lime, and I serve the curry with extra lime wedges so everyone can add more as needed.

Spinach - You can sub the spinach with other greens, like kale or collard greens.

Crispy tofu - I air fry a block of extra firm tofu following this recipe. If you don't have an air fryer, follow the same recipe and bake the tofu in the oven for 20 minutes at 200°C (400°F), flipping it halfway through.

How to make coconut tofu curry

Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep pan and fry the onion over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until it softens.

Add the garlic, ginger, and red chili pepper and continue to cook for another minute.

Stir in the green beans, fry them for 1-2 minutes and add the Thai red paste.

Add vegetable stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil, then add the sweet potatoes and stir to combine.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sweet potato is fork-tender.

Add the lime juice and spinach and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts.

Stir in the crispy tofu and serve over rice, topped with chopped coriander and extra lime wedges if you like.

Leftovers and storage

• Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
• It's best to reheat this curry in the microwave.
• I don't recommend freezing this curry because the tofu will get mushy when thawed.

Recipe notes and tips

• Serve this vegan coconut curry over brown rice or cauliflower rice for a healthier meal.
• This is the perfect fridge-cleaner recipe so feel free to use up any leftover veggies you may have.
• Even though this is a coconut curry, you don't have to worry about overpowering coconut flavours. The coconut flavour is on the mild side here.

If you liked this coconut tofu curry, you might also like some of my other easy vegan curry recipes:

• Easy Chickpea and Potato Curry (Chana Aloo Curry)
• Vegan Butter Chickpeas
• Vegan Instant Pot Thai Red Curry
• Spicy Brazilian Coconut Curry with Chickpeas
• Vegan Mushroom Masala Curry

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