Panang Tofu Curry

I'm not going to lie to you; this doesn't look like a very delicious curry.  It is a little bit monochromatic.  Looks can be deceiving.  This tasted better than it looks.

I have made some great curry recipes on this blog.  I have made chicken Prik King, Matter Paneer, beef and vegetable green curry, and Japanese curry rice.

I have also made chicken Massaman curry, Palak Panner, Sri Lankan potato and cashew curry, yellow chicken curry, and lamb Rogan Josh, among many other curry recipes.

Even though I have many curry recipes, I don't think I have ever made anything with tofu.  Tofu is also known as bean curd.  It is made from coagulated soy milk.  Doesn't that sound appetizing.  

It is found is South East Asian and East Asian cuisines.  The first recorded instance of tofu making dates back 2,000 years ago to the Han dynasty in China.  It was later introduced to Korea and then Japan.

To making tofu the soy beans must be cleansed, soaked, grind filtered, boiled, coagulated, and then pressed.  Tofu can be firm or soft.  It can be dried, fried, or fermented.  

This Panang tofu curry recipe came from Bon Appetit.  For some reason I replaced the shallot with green onion.  Other than that, I cooked the curry as directed.  

The ingredients are 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup sliced green onions, 2 tablespoons grated ginger, 4 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili paste, 1 cup water, 1 14-ounce can coconut milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 14-ounce packages firm tofu, 1 1/2 cups diced carrots, and 1 diced red bell pepper.

I added the oil to a pan over medium-high heat.  I added the sliced green onions, garlic, and ginger.  I cooked this for about three minutes.  I stirred frequently.

I added the turmeric, cumin, peanut butter, and chili paste.  I cooked this for another couple of minutes.

I added a cup of water, coconut milk, brown sugar, lime zest, and lime juice.  I brought this to a simmer and seasoned with salt.

I added the chopped carrots, cubed tofu, and chopped bell pepper.  I let this simmer to 20 minutes.  I stirred occasionally.

I served this curry over rice.

This wasn't the best curry I have made.  It was good but not outstanding.  There are better recipes out there.

I can't blame the tofu even though meat is always tasty.  I have made yummier vegetarian curries.  

The flavor of the broth was pretty one dimensionally.  That's crazy to say since the curry had so many spices, but it wasn't flavorful enough for my tastes.

 It was good though.  The broth was creamy and smooth.

The vegetables were tender.  The tofu was soft, plump, and tasty.

I ate this curry over a few days and was able to finish it all.  It was good enough, but I probably will not make it again.