Tofu Pumpkin Curry

Pumpkin curry is my go-to favorite when eating Thai food. I hardly cook it despite curry being fairly easy to pull together. I decided to challenge myself on this Meatless Monday and I couldn't have been more pleased. You can whip up this easy tofu pumpkin curry in less time than it takes to order take out. All you need are a few pantry staples to create this healthy dish any night of the week. The pumpkin puree makes this curry thick and creamy. Next time I'm going to experiment with more veggies and crisping the tofu beforehand. 

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 20 min

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

14 oz. firm tofu, cut in ½" cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (or 1½ cups homemade pumpkin puree)
1 (15 oz.) can full fat coconut milk
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
⅛th teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
⅛th teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Transfer tofu from package to a plate lined with paper towels. Cover with another layer of paper towels and top with a heavy object to press some moisture from tofu while you start the curry. (You could also use a tofu press.)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and red bell pepper. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook one more minute.

Stir in the curry paste, pumpkin, and coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cut tofu into ½" cubes and stir into the skillet.

Cook for 3 minutes. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper, and cook another 3-5 minutes or until spinach is wilted.Serve over rice or other starch and top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Chiang Mai Curry Noodles

I don't normally attempt to cook Thai food because we have such great Thai food here in San Jose, but our favorite restaurant burnt down (well, it was a kitchen fire) last year and still hasn't reopened.  We have been on the hunt for a replacement, but haven't found anything quite a yummy as TeeNee Thai. So sad.  This was an easy recipe and great for my first attempt into Thai cuisine. It was intended to be served over noodles, but I think it would be great over rice as well. 

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooke time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp finely copped garlic
2 tbsp red curry paste or panaeng curry paste
3/4lb boneless chicken, cut in big, bite-sized chunks
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 tsp ground turmeric or curry powder
2 tbsp dark soy sauce or soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1lb fresh Chinese-style egg noodles, or 1/2lb dried Chinese-style egg noodles, angel hair pasta or spaghetti
1/3 cup coarsely chopped shallots
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and then add the garlic.  Toss well and add the red curry paste, mashing and stirring to soften in the oil, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook 1 to 2 minutes, tossing now and then to brown it evenly and mix it with the curry paste. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, turmeric, soy sauce, sugar, and salt and stir well. Bring to a gentle boil and adjust heat to maintain a lively simmer. Cook about 10 minutes, until meat is cooked through. Stir in lime juice, remove from heat, and cover to keep curry warm while you prepare the noodles.

Cook the noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling water, until tender but still firm, as little as 2 minutes for fresh noodles and 7 minutes or more for dried. Drain, rinse well in cold water, drain again, and divide the noodles among individual serving bowls. Ladle on hot curry, and sprinkle each serving with shallots, cilantro and green onions, Serve hot.

Thai Pumpkin and Tofu Curry

For me, there is nothing closer to heaven than Thai food.   I love just about any Thai dish, but if Pumpkin Curry is on the menu I will order it every time.  This isn't the first time I have tried to recreate this curry at home, but this recipe comes pretty close to the real thing.  You can used Thai red curry paste that you find in Asian grocery stores, but I have also included a recipe here if you have the time to make. 

Prep time:  1 hour, 15 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

6 tbsp Thai red curry paste (see recipe below)
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
½ teaspoon lime zest
1 small pumpkin or kabocha squash; peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes

½ yellow bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces

½ green bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces

½ onion, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
¼ cup basil leaves
1 teaspoon lime juice
Cilantro leaves to garnish (optional)

¼ cup Soybean oil

Curry Paste:

3 dried red New Mexico or Anaheim chili peppers

10 small dried red chilies, such as chiles de arbol or chiles japones

½ cup coarsely chopped shallots or onions

¼ cup coarsely chopped garlic

1 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh ginger or fresh galangal

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

½ tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

For the Paste: Stem and seed the large and small dried red chilies, break them in large pieces and place them in a small bowl.  Add warm water to cover and set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

In the work bowl of a small food processor or blender, combine the shallots, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, pepper and salt.  Add the softened chilies along with ¼ cup of the soaking water.  Process everything to a fairly smooth puree, stopping now and then to scrape down the sides, and add more soaking water a tablespoon or two at a time, if you need it to help grinding. Transfer the paste to a small jar and cover tightly.  The paste can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks, or in the freezer for about 3 months.

For the Curry: In a wok or large saucepan, heat the soybean oil until hot and bubbly. Add the drained tofu and pan fry on each side until slightly browned and crispy.  Remove tofu and dry off on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

In a large saucepan, cook the cubed pumpkin in boiling water until it is just cooked through, about 6 minutes (or microwave with about 1 cup water for 6 minutes) Drain and set aside.

Heat a large sauté pot over medium-high heat. Add the red curry and stir for a few seconds, then add the coconut milk and lime zest. Cook for five minutes, then add the bell-pepper, onion, sugar, fish sauce, basil leaves, and lime juice until onions are translucent and cooked through. Add the cooked squash and tofu. Bring to a boil again and cook until the squash is soft, about 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro leaves if desired. Serve with Jasmine or brown rice.

Red Curry with Butternut Squash

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk

3 tbsp red curry paste

1 ½ cups chicken broth or water

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut in generous bite-sized chunks (about 2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized triangles

1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized triangles

1 small onion, cut into bite-sized triangles

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan or heavy skillet, bring about ¾ cup of the coconut milk to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it begins to thicken and becomes fragrant.  Add the curry paste and cook 2 to 3 minutes, pressing and stirring to dissolve it into the coconut milk. 

Add the remaining ¾ cups of coconut milk, the chicken broth, butternut squash, peppers, onions, fish sauce and palm sugar and bring to a full boil.  Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook, stirring now and then, until the beef is cooked and the butternut squash is tender but still firm, 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving dish and serve hot or warm.

Grilled Garlic Chicken, Issahn Style

Prep time: 30 mins

Marinate time: 1 hour to overnight

Cook time:  25 mins

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

3 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp water, or more as needed to grind the paste

3 lbs chicken pieces

DIRECTIONS:

In a small food processor or blender, combine the cilantro, garlic, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, salt and water.  Grind to a fine, fairly smooth paste.  Add another tablespoon or two of water if needed to help grind evenly.  You can also mince the garlic and cilantro finely, mash them with the salt on your cutting board, and scrape the mixture into a bowl to mix with the pepper, fish sauce and soy sauce.

Transfer the paste to a large, deep mixing bowl and add the chicken pieces, turning to coat everything well.  Cover and refrigerate at least an hour to overnight, turning occasionally to coat evenly with the marinade.

Prepare a very hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or oven to 450 degrees F.  When hot, place the chicken on the lightly oiled rack or in a roasting pan in the oven, and cook.  Turn occasionally to brown and cook pieces evenly, until chicken is cooked through.  Serve while hot or warm.