Veganuary Day 5 - Peanut Curry
Hi there! 😊
I hope you’re having a great weekend 💚. Today, we celebrate the Magic King’s Night in Spain (Noche de Reyes). Have you heard of it? I know some other countries celebrate it too, like the south of Germany. We went to see the parade where the kids get to see the Magic Kings and left our shoes and some food under the tree, hoping they come tonight and leave some presents! 🎁
The kids were very excited, so hopefully, they won’t wake up too early tomorrow 😅. I guess most kids go back to school tomorrow, but in Spain, they don’t until the 8th, so we still have a few days with no routine. Wish us luck!
Today, I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes from the blog, which has been the most popular recipe since we first made it. This is a peanut curry that is made with super simple ingredients (no curry paste needed) and tastes absolutely delicious. Yesterday, I posted a healthy soup as most of you voted for that option, but many people also voted for curry so here you go, a hearty and easy-to-make curry to enjoy during this Veganuary.
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Ingredients
Tofu. For this recipe, we use extra firm or firm tofu as the main protein (as well as peanut butter). Tempeh is a great option for Thai curries as well. If you want some extra protein, add some toasted cashews or sesame seeds before serving the dish.
Spice Blend. We use a simple spice mix to marinate the tofu. You will probably already have everything at home, or you will find them easily at your local supermarket. Our spice mix contains cinnamon, turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, sweet paprika, and sugar. You can use other spices such as five-spice powder, black pepper, white pepper, chili powder (for spice), curry powder, ground cloves, garam masala, etc.
Soy sauce or tamari. We use light soy sauce or tamari for a gluten-free option. If you are using dark soy sauce, you may need to adjust the amount of sugar as it's already sweet.
Curry paste. We make a simple curry paste that uses garlic, onion, ginger, red chilies, and carrots. I know this is not the typical curry paste that you see in Thai curries, but believe me, it works amazingly. Leave the chilis out if you are making this recipe for kids. Alternatively, you can use this peanut curry paste from Thai Kitchen.
Vegetable Stock or water. We prefer using vegetable stock as it gives the curry sauce a more intense flavor, but you can use water instead.
Peanut butter or crushed peanuts. For our Peanut curry, you can use unsalted crushed peanuts or peanut butter. We find that using smooth and creamy peanut butter makes the whole process easier.
Coconut milk. To make this curry creamy, we add coconut milk. You can also add cashew cream or even soy cream or milk.
Fresh Veggies. Loads of fresh veggies! Chop as many veggies as you like to add to your Thai peanut curry. Our favorite vegetables to add to this vegetable curry are red bell peppers, broccoli, and carrots. You can add other vegetables such as green beans, snap peas, baby corn, onion, spinach, mushrooms, etc.
Step-by-Step Method
Marinate the tofu. Cut a tofu block into cubes and prepare the marinade. In a small mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder, sweet paprika, and sugar. Add the marinade to the tofu and leave it to marinate while you chop the veggies. Instead of soy sauce, you can use coconut aminos or tamari for a gluten-free option.
Chop the veggies. For our peanut curry, you can add any vegetables that you like or may have at home. For this curry, we use broccoli, carrots, and red bell peppers.
Heat some oil in a pan and add finely chopped garlic, onion, red chilies, ginger, and carrot. Stir fry for a couple of minutes and transfer into a blender jug.
Add to the same blender jug the vegetable stock, crushed peanuts or peanut butter, sugar, coconut milk, and soy sauce. Blend all the ingredients until you have a smooth sauce. If you prefer to use a store-bought paste, this is the brand we recommend you buy.
Heat some coconut oil, olive oil, or another type of vegetable oil in a large pan or large pot, and add the chopped vegetables and the marinated tofu. Cook for a couple of minutes to medium heat until the vegetables and tofu start to golden.
Add the peanut sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes. Adjust with salt and pepper, and your curry will be ready to enjoy.
Download the whole recipe for quantities and instructions. Also, you can find more information about this recipe on the blog.
I hope you give this recipe a try; let us know how you like it! Remember to send us some pics if you’re making our recipes; we always love getting them 🧡
Feliz Noche de Reyes 👑
Love,
Laura.