Spicy Curry Bowl with Tofu

Serves: 2-3 servings
Prep time: 1 hour

What you’ll need:

For the curry base:

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 inch ginger, grated
  • 1/2 jalapeño, sliced
  • 2 orange/red bell pepper
  • 1 cup packed spinach for some extra greens (optional)
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • 2 tsp coconut aminos / low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 can full-fat/light coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp chopped green onions
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • Red chili flakes and pepper to taste

For the tofu:

For the eggplant (the eggplant is optional – I’ve made this without the extra side vegetable and it tastes great! You can also add in a different vegetable if you’d like):

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2-3 small Italian eggplant, thinly sliced
  • 5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 jalapeño, sliced
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos/as needed
  • Salt to taste

For the noodles:

  • 4-oz rice noodles of choice (about one-third of the pack linked here)
  • Large pot of water

What you’ll want to do:

For the tofu:

  • Start with the tofu as it involves a lot of ‘idle’ time.
  • Drain the block of tofu – I usually place it on a chopping board, cover it with a layer or two of kitchen towels and place a heavy vessel over this to drain the water out.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
  • Start preparing your curry while the tofu block drains (I’d give it ten minutes).
  • Once drained, slice the tofu into squares, about 1/2 inch in thickness.
  • Mix all the ingredients except the arrowroot starch in a large bowl.
  • Add the sliced tofu by dipping each slice in the mixture.
  • In the same bowl, roughly coat each slice with arrowroot starch.
  • Let this marinate for a few minutes.
  • Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes (about 15-20 minutes each side and flip over in the middle).

For the curry:

  • In a medium-sized pot, heat the coconut oil.
  • Fry the onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeño until the raw smell goes away.
  • Add the capsicum/any other vegetables of choice.
  • Sauté for a few minutes until tender.
  • Add the curry powder, salt, coconut aminos and rice vinegar.
  • Stir in the coconut milk and let this boil on medium-flame for about 5 minutes (a great time to get back to your tofu if you’re preparing it simultaneously!)
  • Stir in your spinach if you’re using some, and continue cooking until it wilts.
  • Add more salt if needed and top with chopped green onion, cilantro red chili flakes and freshly ground pepper.

For the eggplant

  • In a frying pan, heat the coconut oil on medium flame.
  • Add the garlic and jalapeño and fry for just a few seconds before adding the sliced eggplant.
  • Roughly drizzle the coconut aminos and sprinkle some salt.
  • Cook until very tender and then flip using tongs.
  • If doing this in batches measure the coconut aminos and salt out accordingly.

For the noodles:

  • Cook according to the instructions on the pack.

Assemble however you’d like and enjoy!

Recipe Musings: I’ve been dreaming about creating an Asian inspired bowl for months now. There is something so comforting about a bowl of Thai curry or Vietnamese pho. This curry noodle bowl is the perfect balance of spicy warmth, sleep-inducing carbs and rich umami flavor – all of which are so necessary on cold winter days. This bowl has four parts to it but you can mix and match them however you’d like, depending on your tastebuds and time!

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