Cho Chi Tofu

Cho Chi Tofu

Ingredients

Red Curry Paste

1 stalk lemongrass

1 small piece galangal / ginger

1 small piece turmeric / ½ tbsp turmeric powder

3-4 cloves garlic

5-6 thai red chillies / dried red chillies (increase or decrease quantity to your liking)

1 shallot / ½ red onion (if you don’t have shallot)

1/2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp ground pepper

2 tbsp soy sauce

1tsp sugar

2-3 tbsp coconut cream

2 tbsp lime juice

Salt to taste

Cho Chi Tofu

2 tbsp red curry paste

400 ml coconut cream

2 tbsp palm sugar / jaggery

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp oil and some to stir fry the veggies

200 gm hard tofu cut into fingers or small cubes

Veggies – carrots julienned, sugar snaps, onion strips, bell pepper (capsicum) strips or large pieces, broccoli florets, bok choy , thai basil, any other veggies that you like.

Few leaves thai basil leaves

2 tbsp cashewnuts

Method

Red Curry Paste

Dry roast coriander and cumin seeds.

Take all the ingredients in food processor and blend into a fine paste. If using mortar pestle, grind dry ingredients first, gradually adding wet ingredients and coconut cream as required.

(Note: non vegetarians can add shrimp paste and replace soy sauce with fish sauce.)

Cho Chi Tofu

Fry Tofu pieces. You can opt to not fry the tofu to keep it healthier.

Stir Fry all the veggies and cashewnuts, and keep aside.

In a pan take 1 tbsp oil and heat it. Add 2 tbsp red curry paste as above to the oil and sauté it for 2 minutes. Add 1/3^rd of coconut cream to the pan and stir. Cook on high flame stirring intermittently till the oil starts separating from the mixture. Add palm sugar / jiggery and soy sauce and stir till the palm sugar melts and the mixture becomes sticky. Add remaining coconut cream and mix. Taste the curry and add red chilli paste / palm sugar / soy sauce to adjust the taste to your liking. Add the fried tofu, stir fried veggies and cashewnuts and let it cook for 5 minutes.

The curry is ready, garnish with chopped thai basil leaves.

Serve the hot curry with steamed rice or coconut rice.

(Note: Non-vegetarians can add / replace the veggies and tofu with their choice of meat / fish. Also you can use fish sauce instead of soy sauce)