This Thai red curry recipe with tofu is super flavorful and packs a spicy kick! Thai curry is a coconut-based curry that is perfectly creamy and incorporates lots of fresh vegetables, tofu, and aromatics. I have tried numerous recipes and have found that the key to making it authentic and super tasty is by using pastes that are made in Thailand. I am not very fond of the Americanized versions of Thai curry pastes.

The base of the dish begins with Thai red curry paste, which is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle by grinding red chilies, garlic, shallot, lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal, coriander seeds, cumin, and cardamom. The type and brand of red curry paste makes a HUGE difference in the taste of the overall result. In this recipe, I use the Maesri brand of red curry paste. I’ve tried to create this recipe using the Thai Kitchen brand found in most grocery stores, and it lacks flavor and intensity– an entire jar of it doesn’t even do the trick! You could use almost a full jar of it and not get that same authentic taste you’ll find in restaurants. That is why Maesri is the way to go. I’ve also heard good things about the Mae Ploy brand. If you have tried other brands, let me know what you think!

Another main ingredient is coconut milk. The best brand I’ve tasted is the Chaokoh brand. It has a richer flavor, creamier texture, and more cream compared to other supermarket brands. If you can’t find this brand, don’t worry, just be sure to buy full-fat coconut milk, not light coconut milk.

How to make Thai red curry

Prepare the tofu by wrapping a block of it in a clean dish towel and set something heavy on it, like a cast iron pan. This is to get rid of excess water in the tofu and is commonly done whenever tofu is used in a recipe.

Heat a wok to medium heat and scoop out the thick cream on top of the coconut milk into the wok until it starts to bubble. Then, mix in the red curry paste. Continue to sauté until fragrant. What you are doing here is boiling off the water in the cream so that fat breaks down further and develops more flavor.

Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add the bamboo shoots, the remainder of coconut milk, 3 cloves of garlic, fish sauce, peapods, and palm sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes. If you would like your curry to be more of a soup, add 1 cup of chicken stock.

While the curry is simmering, unwrap the tofu and cut it into cubes. Add in the cornstarch until it is fully coating the cubes. In a medium frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add in the garlic and tofu, and cook until golden brown and crispy. Add the tofu to the curry.

Serve over rice or noodles.

If you liked this recipe, you might like

• Thai Fish Cakes (Tod Mun Pla)
• Thai Drunken Noodles with Tofu (Pad Kee Mao)
• Vietnamese Crepe (Bánh Xèo)

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5 from 2 votes

Thai Red Curry with Tofu

This Thai red curry recipe with tofu is super flavorful and packs a spicy kick! Thai curry is a coconut-based curry that is perfectly creamy and incorporates lots of fresh vegetables, tofu, and aromatics.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: Thai red curry

Servings: 4 people

Author: Globally Flavored

Ingredients

• 1 can coconut milk* don't shake!
• 2 tablespoon Maesri red curry paste**
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 small can of bamboo shoots
• 1 big handful of pea pods
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce omit if vegetarian
• 2 tablespoon palm sugar chopped (or brown sugar)
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 package of extra-firm tofu cut into cubes (or chicken, pork, or shrimp)
• ¼ cup of cornstarch
• 1 handful of Thai basil or Italian basil

Instructions

• Prepare the tofu by wrapping a block of it in a clean dish towel and set something heavy on it, like a cast iron pan. This is to get rid of excess water in the tofu and is commonly done whenever tofu is used in a recipe.
• Heat a wok to medium heat and scoop out the thick cream on top of the coconut milk into the wok until it starts to bubble. Then, mix in the red curry paste. Continue to sauté until fragrant. What you are doing here is boiling off the water in the cream so that fat breaks down further and develops more flavor.
• Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add the bamboo shoots, the remainder of coconut milk, 3 cloves of garlic, fish sauce, peapods, and palm sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes. If you would like your curry to be more of a soup, add 1 cup of chicken stock.
• While the curry is simmering, unwrap the tofu and cut it into cubes. Add in the cornstarch until it is fully coating the cubes. In a medium frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add in the garlic and tofu, and cook until golden brown and crispy. Add the tofu to the curry.
• Serve over rice or noodles.

Notes

*Make sure to get coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk, not light coconut milk.

**I use Maesri red curry paste, I find this to have the best flavor. It's vegan too!**

Try out other Thai recipes, and let me know if you liked this recipe in the comments!