Main dish

Tofu Panang Curry recipe

Name: Tofu Panang Curry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil (plus more to drizzle); 450g firm tofu (broken, not sliced, into 1 inch cubes. I use Tofoo); 1 tbsp cornflour (divided); salt and black pepper; large handful of cashew nuts; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 2-3 banana shallots, sliced (or 1 onion); 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped; 50g Panang curry paste (more or less to taste, depending on your spice tolerance); 100g creamed coconut block, broken up and mixed with up to 400ml water (or 400ml tin of coconut milk); 1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce); small handful of Thai basil, sliced; 1 tbsp peanut butter (crunchy or smooth); 150g button mushrooms; 1 red bell pepper, sliced; 1 lime; 1 tsp sugar (or 40g of pineapple, cubed); rice or noodles

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Panang curry with veg and tofu (or chicken, beef, etc). Made from a paste, great with rice, but (in my opinion), best with a big tangle of egg noodles.

Prep15m
Cook30m
Total45m

coconut curry thai tofu vegan-adaptable

Panang curry with tofu, peppers, mushrooms and Thai . Served with egg noodles.basil

The last time I made Panang curry, Col said, “I would pay for this”. I mean, he sort of did; we bought ingredients, one of us laboured. But still, a nice compliment.

If you want an entirely from scratch recipe, go to Hot Thai Kitchen. I love a paste, though, and can highly recommend Ice Kitchen (vegan) and Mae Ploy (contains shrimp). Both have familiar-looking ingredients. There’s no MSG*, but if there were, I wouldn’t hesitate; I’m a fan but appreciate that some aren’t.

Mae Ploy’s tub is bigger (£2.60 for 400g from my local Asian supermarket, Lucky Fortune ♥️). Ice Kitchen’s frozen paste comes in pots (£3.50 for 2 x 77g).

There are several ingredients I consider non-optional for Thai curries but don’t let that stop you if you’re missing any:

Fish sauce
Lime juice
Thai basil

Fresh herbs can be an annoying purchase so I’ll reiterate that they freeze well. I keep a stock of Thai basil in my freezer. It nudges Thai curries into takeaway/restaurant territory, in a way that coriander can’t quite match.

Crunchy or smooth peanut butter adds richness and depth (thanks to Tastes Better from Scratch for the eyebrow-raising idea, which quickly became “but of course”).

Sugar’s there to balance the flavours. I use frozen pineapple instead, which is probably sacrilege. If you haven't closed your browser tab in disgust, check out Nigella's Thai Red Curry with Prawns and Mango; the inspiration for the pineapple.

Choose your protein. Chicken thighs are lovely but I’ve been opting for craggy nuggets of tofu, broken up rather than sliced. Roast in the oven while you get on with everything else. Or use an airfryer if you have one.

★ ★ ★

* The history of MSG is fascinating. Did you know that some foods like tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms and soy sauce naturally contain MSG?

Notes

I’m still enjoying creamed coconut blocks. Tinned coconut milk is great too; it’s easier and silkier, but coconut blocks are 100% coconut and only require a tiny bit more effort (cutting and storing).

To make this dish vegan, use Ice Kitchen's paste (not Mae Ploy's, which contains shrimp) and swap the fish sauce for soy sauce.

Recipe

Tofu Panang Curry

Prep15m
Cook30m
Total45m

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Tofu

1 tbsp vegetable oil (plus more to drizzle)
450g firm tofu (broken, not sliced, into 1 inch cubes. I use Tofoo)
1 tbsp cornflour (divided)
salt and black pepper

Panang curry

large handful of cashew nuts
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 banana shallots, sliced (or 1 onion)
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
50g Panang curry paste (more or less to taste, depending on your spice tolerance)
100g creamed coconut block, broken up and mixed with up to 400ml water (or 400ml tin of coconut milk)
1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
small handful of Thai basil, sliced
1 tbsp peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
150g button mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 lime
1 tsp sugar (or 40g of pineapple, cubed)

To serve

rice or noodles

Method

Tofu

Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Line a medium baking tray with greaseproof paper (you could use foil but sometimes the tofu sticks). Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Spread 450g of broken up (not sliced) firm tofu over the roasting tray and drizzle over a little more oil. Sieve over ½ a tablespoon of cornflour, flip the tofu then sieve the remaining ½ tablespoon of cornflour onto the uncoated side. You don't need to be precise. Season with salt and black pepper then jiggle the tofu around in the oil.
Place onto the middle shelf in the oven. Set a timer for 25 minutes.

Panang curry

Place a large saucepan or wok over a medium heat. Add a large handful of cashews, tossing occasionally. Remove from the pan and set to one side. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan.
Add 2-3 sliced banana shallots or 1 onion. Fry for a few minutes then add 2-3 chopped cloves of garlic. Fry for a few more minutes until the garlic just starts to colour.
Add 50g of Panang curry paste to the pan and fry for 1 minute (heads up: 50g of Mae Ploy paste is fairly spicy).
Either add:
- 1 tin of coconut milk (400ml), or
- 100g of broken up creamed coconut block then slowly add up to 400ml water (adjust depending on the desired consistency — I add about 250ml).
Stir well then add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce (or soy sauce), a small handful of sliced Thai basil and 1 tablespoon of crunchy or smooth peanut butter.
When the curry starts to bubble, add 150g of button mushrooms and 1 sliced bell pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Squeeze in the juice from ½ a lime and taste the curry. Add more lime juice if needed then cut the remaining lime into wedges. Taste and add 1 teaspoon of sugar (or 40g of cubed pineapple).
Turn off the heat and serve immediately with rice or noodles and the lime wedges. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.