Vegan Coconut Curry with Crispy Tofu Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

FAQs

Should you fry tofu before adding to curry? ›

If you want a tastier tofu, you can fry it before adding it to the curry. Follow our fried tofu recipe and stir it in the curry before serving it. Our recipe for fried tofu is easy, and you can make it in less than 15 minutes while the curry simmers.

Cornstarch: This is what will form the crispy baked tofu coating in the oven. If you prefer not to cook with cornstarch, you can try a substitute such as potato starch or arrowroot starch. Salt and pepper: You can also add additional seasonings like garlic and onion powder, paprika, nutritional yeast, etc.

Yes, coconut tofu curry is freezer-friendly and can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers like these multi-use glass containers (affiliate link). Let thaw before reheating.

Because there's more whey in medium-firm tofu, it may break up during vigorous stir-frying, and pan-frying can lead to sad, deflated tofu planks. How to Prep: Pressed, drained, salt-soaked, or frozen. Best Uses: Battered, stir-fried, baked, and fermented.

Here's the thing: even though tofu might be labeled firm or extra-firm, it contains a lot of water. This excess water can cause the tofu to crumble when you cook it, and it will also have a hard time crisping up. But when you press tofu, you remove the excess moisture.

If your crispy tofu isn't getting crispy, it could be because there is too much moisture in the tofu. Another issue could be the oil isn't hot enough to fry the tofu. Or you forgot to add the corn flour. These three reasons can cause your tofu to be soggy or not crisp up as much as you'd like.

If you've been vegan for a while you might have noticed by now that things are sometimes not as vegan as they look. While cornstarch itself does not contain any animal products, the production process is not free from cruelty or exploitation.

Coconut flour

Of course, you can also substitute cornstarch with this popular keto flour as well. It can be used to thicken syrups, sauces, and fillings. But keep in mind that it has a distinctly coconut-y flavor that can take over your recipe if you're not using spices or using mild-flavored ingredients.

Are any types of tofu not suitable for freezing? Soft tofu will not become as spongy as firmer tofus, but can still be frozen. While silken tofu technically can be frozen, it's not recommended. Instead, if you want silken tofu that will last a while, opt for shelf-stable silken tofu in aseptic packaging.

What veggies go in curry? ›

The curry base is made with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, red chilli powder and garam masala. I prefer to go with potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, cauliflower, corn and bell peppers. Though you can use other veggies like baby corn, sweet potato and broccoli, the curry will have different flavors.

How to safely eat raw tofu. While tofu comes in a variety of textures — silken, firm, and extra firm — technically any of them can be eaten raw. Before enjoying raw tofu, drain off any excess liquid from the packaging. It's also important to store tofu properly to prevent germs from growing on any unused portions.

It may seem counterintuitive to add water to something you're trying to dry out, but boiling water will actually cause the tofu to squeeze out more moisture, bringing it to the surface and making it easier to blot off, while the salt gently seasons the slices.

The salt water soaking step draws excess moisture out of the firm or extra firm tofu, making for a crispy-crunchy and well-seasoned end result.

In her book Asian Tofu, Andrea Nguyen recommends pouring boiling, salted water over cut tofu and letting it sit for 15 minutes before going on to fry it, and on Instagram, the Omsom account highlights a technique for brining slices tofu in salt water before pan frying them to get the crispiest pieces.

Tofu can be eaten raw, and so cooking it is completely optional and is mostly done for texture or to bind the sauce to the tofu. You can pan-sear the sides and add it to a colorful stir-fry or deep-fry it and coat it in a savory and sweet sauce.

Cold, raw tofu rejects marinades because of its high water content and low porosity. It will eventually suck up a marinade, but mostly on the surface, and only after a long, long time (think a couple of days). Par-cooking it speeds up the process by driving out some of that water, leaving more room for seasonings.

You can put raw tofu in the soup and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to warm and flavor it. Tofu can be eaten raw, so it's no problem to add it raw to soups.

How do you add paneer to a curry sauce? Prepare the sauce and then add the fried paneer to the bubbling hot curry. Although fried until crisp, it is best to add the paneer fry to a sauce just before serving. It will then retain its shape and become soft and delicious in the center.