In January, my comfort food craving is extra high. It’s chilly out and I need big bowls of hot, saucy goodness. I also like my dinners to be a on the healthier side. This vegan pineapple tofu curry checks all the boxes. Sweet, spicy, and saucy. Healthy and easy to make. This is the perfect January dinner! I think I came up with the best method to make this curry. Bake the tofu until crispy so you don’t need to fry it. Saute and steam the veggies and pineapple. Make the sauce, then add everything to the pan. Serve with rice or noodles and you have an incredible meal.
I am obsessed with this combination of sweet pineapple with spicy red curry. The red curry paste does make this sauce spicy, but the sweetness of the pineapple counteracts it a bit and makes the spice level awesome. If you aren’t a fan of spicy food, you can reduce the amount of red curry paste that you put in the sauce.
This is a thin sauce, like all my favorite Thai curry sauces. They are made thin and the rice or noodles will soak it up and it’s glorious. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add a bit of cornstarch to it and it will thicken up nicely. I prefer a thin sauce that is almost broth like so I can get delicious spoonfuls of the flavorful sauce.
On that note, let’s talk sauce. This sauce is so freaking good. So well balanced and so addictive. It is creamy, spicy, sweet, salty and tangy. I keep vegan red curry paste on hand so I can throw this and many other recipes together in no time. It should be easy to find vegan red curry paste, but just check the ingredients to make sure it is vegan. Many of them have fish sauce or paste, so just double check. This vegan pineapple tofu curry is a January favorite in my house, and it’s about to be yours too.
Sweet and spicy curry with baked tofu, sauteed veggies and pineapple.
- 1 Block(15oz.) Extra firm tofu, pressed
- 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Olive oil or peanut oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Large Carrots, chopped
- 6 Ounces Fresh green beans or haricot vert
- 1 1/2 Cups Pineapple, diced
- 2 Tablespoons Soy sauce, divided
- 2 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste, vegan
- 3/4 Cup Coconut cream or full fat coconut milk
- 3/4 Cup Vegetable broth
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut sugar or agave syrup
- 1 Tablespoon Lime juice
- Fresh cilantro for topping
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees(F).
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Cut the pressed tofu(if you need more info on pressing tofu check out my TOFU COOKING GUIDE) into cubes.
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Toss the cubes of tofu with 1 Tablespoon of the oil and the salt. Coat evenly then spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake 10-15 more minutes or until brown and crispy.
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Now in a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat 1 more Tablespoon of oil on medium high. Add the carrots and green beans to the skillet and saute for about 5 minutes, then add 1 Tablespoon of soy sauce, toss to coat.
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Then reduce heat to medium low, then cover and let steam for 10-15 minutes or until the green beans and carrots are tender.
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Once the veggies are tender, remove the cover and add the pineapple. Saute for about 5 minutes then remove the carrots, green beans and pineapple from the skillet, set aside.
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Now using the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil on medium high. Then add the red curry paste. Saute the red curry paste in the oil for 2-3 minutes.
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Next, add the coconut cream, vegetable broth, coconut sugar or agave and lime juice to the skillet with the red curry paste. Whisk everything together to fully combine.
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Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
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Once the tofu is done, add the veggies, pineapple and tofu to the skillet with the curry sauce. Toss everything and saute for 3-5 minutes. Then serve with rice or noodles and fresh cilantro.
This sauce is a traditional thin brothy style curry. If you want it a little thicker, you can whisk 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of water and add it to the curry to thicken it.
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