Vegan Coconut Curry with Crispy Tofu Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

FAQs

Should you fry tofu before adding to curry? ›

If you want a tastier tofu, you can fry it before adding it to the curry. Follow our fried tofu recipe and stir it in the curry before serving it. Our recipe for fried tofu is easy, and you can make it in less than 15 minutes while the curry simmers.

I recommend using firm or extra firm tofu so that it holds up in the curry. Herbs & spices: this curry dish has tons of flavor thanks to fresh garlic and ginger, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, a little ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to taste.

Tofu is a great source of protein, and here, it adds a chewy, spongy bite to each spoon of this curry. Substitute: If you have a soy allergy, use 1 (15-ounce/425g) can of chickpeas. Add it when you add the cauliflower. Indian aromatics.

Substitutions: If you prefer not to cook with cornstarch, you can substitute in an equal volume of all-purpose flour or potato starch. Tofu: This recipe can also be made with medium-firm tofu, but you'll need to be a bit more gentle while pressing and coating it.

Here's the thing: even though tofu might be labeled firm or extra-firm, it contains a lot of water. This excess water can cause the tofu to crumble when you cook it, and it will also have a hard time crisping up. But when you press tofu, you remove the excess moisture.

If your crispy tofu isn't getting crispy, it could be because there is too much moisture in the tofu. Another issue could be the oil isn't hot enough to fry the tofu. Or you forgot to add the corn flour. These three reasons can cause your tofu to be soggy or not crisp up as much as you'd like.

Both silken and regular tofu can be found in soft, medium, firm, and extra-firm consistencies. They are made with the same ingredients, but they are processed slightly differently and are not interchangeable in a recipe.

For relatively similar serving sizes, the nutrition differences between silken and firm tofu are pretty big. Silken tofu contains only about half the calories and fat, while firm tofu contains over twice the protein. The reason for this is water content.

If it darkens in color, begins to smell, or feels slimy, it should be thrown away. Bottom line: Open packages of tofu are good in the fridge for up to five days, provided you change the water daily.

Tempeh. Similar to tofu, tempeh is also soy-based (and protein-rich—it's one of the foods with more protein than an egg). It's dense with a nutty flavor and can easily holds its shape. Tempeh tastes great steamed, grilled, pan-fried, baked and more (here's a guide on how to cook it).

Is paneer the same as tofu? ›

Even though they may look similar, paneer and tofu are different foods. Paneer is a cheese, while tofu is made from soy. However, they're both vegetarian sources of protein and calcium that have mild tastes and fairly soft textures. For these reasons, they may be used interchangeably in some recipes.

Yes, coconut milk is vegan, making it a great alternative to dairy for those on a plant-based diet. So the next time you're in the mood for a co*cktail, you don't have to shun the Pina Coladas. Looking for some vegan milk recommendations?

Most cooks recommend substituting 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour. Tapioca is a processed starch flour made from the root vegetable cassava.

Now, you just need to toss your tofu in a little oil (just 1 tablespoon for the full batch), tamari or soy sauce (for some flavor) and cornstarch or arrowroot starch. The starch makes the edges extra crispy and irresistible (I got this idea from The Kitchn).

Easily sorted :- crush a couple of cloves of garlic into a bowl, add about a tablespoon of Tamari (or any soya sauce). Drop in sliced Tofu and let it marinate briefly, giving it a couple of shakes to ensure even coating and soaking, saute gently in a little hot oil.

Tofu can be eaten raw, and so cooking it is completely optional and is mostly done for texture or to bind the sauce to the tofu. You can pan-sear the sides and add it to a colorful stir-fry or deep-fry it and coat it in a savory and sweet sauce.

If you want the flavor to get all the way inside, you have to get heat involved somehow, whether that's in the form of a dip in boiling salty water, or by pan-frying, baking, or my new favorite pre-marinade technique: Air-frying. Cold, raw tofu rejects marinades because of its high water content and low porosity.

You can put raw tofu in the soup and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to warm and flavor it. Tofu can be eaten raw, so it's no problem to add it raw to soups.

Paneer is already cooked.

So it's not essential that you cook it prior to adding to curry. Some people like a golden brown colour on the outside. If you like, you can shallow fry, deep fry, or grill paneer before adding it to a curry. This will create a golden crust on the outside.