044 / 75 · Tofu, Eggs and Everyday Vegetarian Meals

Tofu and Green Pea Coconut Curry

2 bowls, each with half the tofu-pea curry and rice · Active 35 min · Total 1 hr

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Tofu and green peas make a gentle coconut curry with an ordinary tomato base. A small measured spice mixture keeps a beginner from needing to guess what is inside a commercial paste. The tofu simmers rather than browns here, so the method is different from a crisp-tofu stir-fry. Rice is included in the stated portion, and the frozen peas are cooked fully according to their package, not merely thawed in the warm sauce.

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Original hand-drawn illustration of tofu and green pea coconut curry.

Wake the spices without scorching them

Soften the onion before adding garlic, ginger and dry spices. The brief stir in oil should smell fragrant, with no black specks or smoke. Add the tomatoes promptly so the pan does not keep frying the spices dry. Ground cumin, coriander, turmeric and sweet paprika provide separate flavors without a mystery paste. They are measured modestly; adding a spoonful of each instead of the stated amounts makes a different and potentially dusty sauce.

Stir a can before measuring

Full-fat canned coconut milk can separate into a thick top and thin liquid. Stir the can thoroughly before weighing the recipe amount, or the estimate and sauce texture can depend on which layer you happened to scoop. The remainder needs prompt refrigeration according to its label. Coconut beverages from a drinking carton are much more diluted and are not equivalent. The saved USDA canned-coconut record supplies calories and protein but omits fiber; that omission stays explicit in the nutrition panel.

Heat the peas, keep the cubes intact

Drain tofu and cut even cubes, then lower them gently into the simmering sauce. Fold with a broad spoon rather than stirring aggressively until the corners break away. Frozen peas go in for their full label cooking interval; some products need longer than a quick warm-through. The finished sauce should coat a spoon but remain loose enough for the rice. Use the original rice-cooking time for any leftover deadline. Cooling a rice bowl again never creates a fresh storage allowance.

Ingredients

  • Plain firm calcium-set tofu, drained and cubed (300 g)
  • 1 cup frozen green peas (160 g), not thawed
  • 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, stirred before measuring (120 g)
  • 1/2 can crushed tomatoes with juice (200 g)
  • 1 small onion, finely diced (100 g)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated (6 g)
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger (6 g)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil (5 ml/about 4.5 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (1 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (1 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (1 g)
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (2 g)
  • 3/4 cup water for sauce (180 ml)
  • 1/2 cup dry long-grain white rice (100 g)
  • About 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water for rice (200 ml), or packet-specified amount
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)

Set out

Medium saucepan with tight lid for rice, 3-liter/3-quart saucepan with lid for curry, Broad spoon, Knife and board, Kitchen scale, Measuring jug, Food thermometer, 2 bowls

Allergens

Soy; check coconut milk and other packaged ingredients for added allergens. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Rinse rice and cook in its measured water, or the packet-required amount. For a typical long-grain product, bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low for 15–18 minutes, then rest covered off the heat for 5 minutes. Keep hot for immediate serving.
  2. Meanwhile heat oil in the curry saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion for 8–10 minutes until softened. Add garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then cumin, coriander, turmeric and paprika for another 20–30 seconds, stirring.
  3. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir the coconut-milk can thoroughly, then weigh 120 g into the saucepan. Add sauce water and salt, bring to a gentle simmer and fold in tofu cubes. Cover loosely and simmer gently for 8 minutes, following any longer tofu package cooking requirement.
  4. Add frozen peas and simmer for at least their full packet cooking time, usually 5–8 minutes, stirring gently, until cooked and the entire curry is piping hot at 165°F/74°C. If too thin, simmer uncovered briefly; if too thick, add a small splash of hot water.
  5. Divide all rice between 2 bowls and spoon all curry over it. Serve immediately. Refrigerate the unused opened tomato and coconut products promptly according to their labels.

A useful kitchen skill

Stir separated coconut milk before measuring, avoid scorching ground spices and give frozen vegetables their full cooking instructions.

A useful detail

The nutrition basis is full-fat canned coconut milk, not a carton coconut drink, plus drained plain firm tofu and dry rice. Missing coconut-milk fiber is not filled with zero. Pea and tofu package requirements take priority over the suggested intervals.

Another way

  • Use 120 g plain nonfat Greek yogurt instead of coconut milk, taking the pan off the heat before folding it in after the peas finish. Do not boil the yogurt; this introduces milk and changes the estimate.
  • Use 100 g dry brown rice instead of white, beginning it earlier and following its longer packet time and hydration.

Keep it well

Chill rice and curry separately in shallow containers quickly, ideally within 1 hour of the rice’s original cooking. Refrigerate at 40°F/4°C or below and use within 24 hours of that original cooking time. Reheat rice no more than once, with the complete portion at 165°F/74°C throughout, and eat immediately. Discard uneaten reheated rice portions; a new container does not reset the clock.