Thai Tofu with Red Curry Sauce over Coconut-Scallion Rice Recipe

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Ingredients

10 dried kaffir lime leaves, or 1 1/2 tsp lime zest
1 1/4 cups coconut milk
2 3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice, or basmati or regular long-grain white rice
2/3 cup cilantro
2 large garlic cloves, halved
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon fish sauce, or 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil, or corn oil
3 tablespoons hot chile sauce, or 2 tbsp chile paste
16 ounces firm tofu, patted dry and in 1/2" cubes
1/2 bunch broccoli, in small pieces, about 4 cups
1 cup minced scallion
2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Preparation

Step 1

1. Soak lime leaves in 1 quart very hot water 30 minutes.

2. While leaves soak, bring the coconut milk, 2 1/4 cups water, and salt to a boil. Add rice. Cover and simmer 25 minutes.

3. Drain the lime leaves and chop into pea-sized pieces. In a food processor or blender, process lime leaves (or lime zest), cilantro, garlic, and peanuts. With the machine running, add fish sauce and 3 tbs oil, then the chile sauce. Set aside.

4. In a wok or nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add tofu, cook until the pieces form a golden crust on the bottom. Turn, and let tofu crust on the other side. Transfer to a plate.

5. In the same wok or skillet, add the broccoli and 1/2 cup water. Cover and steam 2 minutes. Add lime-peanut paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add tofu and toss to coat. Stir scallions into the rice. Serve with tofu, garnished with cilantro.

Notes: This was outstanding. I used the lime zest (instead of the kaffir lime leaves), light coconut milk, and reduced-fat firm tofu. Also used a chile-garlic paste and a brown jasmine rice (which took about 40 minutes to cook). Next time I'd reduce the oil - maybe down to 1 tbsp - maybe subbing some broth if necessary. Delicious!