1
Prepare the tofu by cutting it into roughly 3/4-inch cubes. Press firm tofu first to remove excess moisture.
2
Prepare vegetables by salting the eggplant for about 15 minutes to soften it, and slice the red bell pepper into strips.
3
Pan-fry the tofu cubes in hot oil until golden on the sides. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil and season with salt.
4
Begin the curry by adding 4 tablespoons of coconut milk to a hot pan. Stir in 4 tablespoons of curry paste, then add minced ginger, garlic, and lemongrass.
5
Deglaze the pan with the liquid, scraping up the browned bits. Add the second can of coconut milk.
6
Season with Thai soy sauce for savory depth and coconut sugar for balance. Add fresh kaffir lime leaves and let the curry simmer rapidly for 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken.
7
Add 1 cup of vegetable broth and the eggplant and bell pepper. Partially cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes until vegetables are tender.
8
Add the pan-fried tofu to the curry and gently fold in. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce or sugar if needed.
9
Remove the kaffir lime leaves from the curry before serving, as they are not edible in this form.
10
Finish by adding fresh Thai basil leaves for aroma, freshness, and characteristic Thai flavor.
11
For homemade curry paste: Add a little oil to a high-powered blender to help the blades work.
12
Toast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns in a dry pan, then grind them in a spice grinder.
13
Prepare chilis by removing stems from Thai green peppers. Remove membranes and seeds from the jalapeño to reduce heat.
14
Prepare remaining ingredients: clean and chop cilantro stems, peel and chop lemongrass, trim and slice galangal, and remove the center ribs from kaffir lime leaves.
15
Combine all curry paste ingredients in the blender: green chilis, jalapeño, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro stems, Thai basil, toasted ground spices, kosher salt, white miso, and grated dried shiitake mushroom.
16
Blend until smooth, about 3 minutes. The fresh homemade paste should be brighter green than store-bought versions. Taste a tiny bit if desired to check spiciness.
17
Cook the curry with homemade paste using the same method as the store-bought version, but omit the extra aromatics since the fresh paste is already full of flavor.
PrimedTableBETA
