Aromatic Lemongrass & Turmeric Curry with Tofu & Cherry Tomatoes
Equipment
- Mortar and Pestle Extremely important for this recipie
- Ceramic Coated Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- Chefs Knife
- Cutting Board
- Wooden Spatula
- Silicone Spatula
- Carbon Steel Wok
- Deep Frying Strainer
- Measuring Cup
- Measuring Spoon
Ingredients
- 1.2 lbs Tofu (Medium Firm)
- ½ tbsp Black Pepper
- ½ tbsp Coriander Seeds
- 3 stocks Lemongrass
- ⅖ tbsp Salt
- 10 Red Birds Eye Chili Adjust for taste and varience in heat of peppers
- ¼ cup Roasted Peanuts
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Shallots
- 1 tbsp Palm Sugar
- 1 tbsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 Green Bell Pepper
- 10 oz Cherry Tomatoes
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 1 can Coconut Milk 13.5 fluid ounces
- ⅜ cup Cold Pressed Peanut Oil
- ¾ cup Cashews
- ⅝ cup water
- 12+ Leaves Thai Basil
- ¼ cup Cilantro Leaves
Instructions
Prep Ingredients
- Start jasmine rice now
- Prep your fried tofu, curry paste, and slice a green pepper.
Fry Tofu
- Preheat 1 quart of peanut oil in a large carbon steel wok.
- Cut 1.2 lbs tofu into large blocks, and allow excess water to naturally drain off.
- Once frying oil comes up to temperature, gently place the tofu into the hot oil with care not to splash hot oil.
- Allow to fry with only disturbing it minimally to ensure nothing sticks together. Once tofu is halfway fried, flip as heat tends to be uneven (hotter on bottom) in shallower pans.
- Fry till golden brown then remove using a frying strainer and drain on paper towels.
- Allow to cool. Once cool slice into smaller pieces so that you have a mix of seared tofu skin and softer inner parts exposed. The sear is for texture and the exposed inner parts grab sauce and seasoning better.
Curry Paste
- Start by measuring out 1/2 tbsp each of black pepper corns and coriander seeds. Add those to your mortar and pestle and grind into a fine powder.
- Take 3 stocks of lemongrass, trim off the base and fibrous grassier tops. Peal back outter few layers that are tougher and dirtier to expose the inner part of the lemongrass stalks. Rinse the stocks to remove any residual soil or sand that may have worked its way to the inner layers. Slice, mince, and add the lemongrass to the mortar and pestle. Pound the lemongrass into a paste breaking up as many of the fibers as possible.
- Add 3/4 tbsp of salt to the mortar and pestle. This will be all of the salt for the dish as well as act as an aggregate to further help break down the lemongrass fibers and release it’s oils.
- Slice 10-12 birds eye chilis. Pushing the other ingredients up the sides to expose stone at the bottom, add the birds eye chilis to the mortar and pestle. Pound with the pestle until the chilis break down into a paste and then reincorporate the other ingredients.
- Add 1/4 cup of dry roasted peanuts and pound them into the paste until fully incorporated.
- Peal, and trim 6 cloves of garlic and smash into paste in the mortar and pestle.
- Peal, trim and rough chop 1 shallot and smash into a paste in the mortar and pestle.
- Rough chop 3 tbsp of palm sugar and grind into the paste in the mortar and pestle.
- Measure out 1.5 tbsp of turmeric powder, and stir into paste until fully combined.
- Once all curry paste ingredients are combined, give final grind in the mortar and pestle to ensure a smooth paste.
Cooking
- Heat a large ceramic coated cast iron dutch oven on high and add 3/8th cup of virgin peanut oil to coat the bottom of pan. Once the oil is hot, add 3 bay leaves.
- Once the bay leaves toast lightly and become fragrant, add the curry paste to the hot oil and fry until the oil gets infused with the aromatics. Make sure to stir frequently and scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent it from sticking and burning.
- Once the oil is infused and stained, add 13.5 oz (1 can) of high fat coconut milk. Stir to incorporate the coconut milk, curry paste, and oils. Bring everything to a boil, reduce to medium heat, and allow to reduce slightly while the coconut milk’s fats to infuse with the aromatics.
- Once the coconut milk has cooked with the aromatic paste and reduced slightly add 5/8ths cup of water and return to a boil. The goal is to thin the reduced coconut milk back out and add a little volume to the sauce without making it watery.
- Add cashews & sliced green bell pepper and allow to simmer slightly. Add your tofu sliced fried, 10 oz cherry tomatoes, and a dozen or so thai basil leaves and continue to simmer. Be careful with timing between not overcooking your bell pepper and cooking your cherry tomatoes enough to soften but remain unbroken down.
- Remove from heat, serve over a bed of jasmine rice, and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.