Instant Pot Thai Red Curry Tofu
Instant Pot Red Thai Curry Tofu is loaded with veggies, extra firm tofu with layers of rich Thai flavors cooked in a coconut milk base. You can make this coconut red curry with tofu under 15 mins and with readily available ingredients. This vegan Thai red curry is low calorie, low carb, gluten free and healthy.
Equipment
- 6 quart instant pot
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups Tofu - **extra firm tofu diced into small cubes about ¼ inch thick.
- ⅓ cup shallots - **finely chopped. Or use yellow onion.
- 1 tablespoon garlic - **minced.
- ½ tablespoon ginger - **minced.
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass - **finely chopped.
- 4 tablespoon red curry paste - **I always use Thai Kitchen red curry paste. It's vegan, gluten free & dairy free.
- 13.66 fluid ounce coconut milk - **use full fat coconut milk. 403 ml. I always use Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk.
- ½ cup water
- 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce - **I used light soy sauce. You can use regular low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar - **optional. You can also use maple syrup, brown sugar, palm sugar or honey if you are not vegan.
- 1.5 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 teaspoon cilantro stems - **minced.
- 2 tablespoon olive oil - **use light or extra light olive oil or any neutral oil like avocado oil, canola oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil or vegetable oil.
- salt to taste - **use according to your personal taste preference.
Vegetables
- ½ cup cut baby corns - **drained from the can.
- ½ cup snow peas - **ends trimmed.
- ½ cup red bell pepper - **roughly sliced about 1 inch long.
Garnish
- ¼ cups cilantro - **roughly or finely chopped.
Instructions
Prep the tofu
- Squeeze out the excess moisture from the extra firm tofu block by wrapping it with 2 layers of kitchen towel and by pressing it gently with your fingers. This will prevent the tofu from falling apart in the curry sauce. Discard the kitchen towel and dice the tofu slab into ¼ inch thick cubes. Set them aside.
Make the red Thai curry sauce
- Set the instant pot on Sauté function set at NORMAL heat settings. You can control the heat by pressing the Sauté button more than once. Add oil, when the oil becomes moderately hot gently release the shallots, minced garlic, ginger and finely chopped lemongrass. Sauté until the shallots & the lemongrass begin to turn soft. Add salt according to your personal taste preference to quicken the process of sautéing. Add the red Thai curry paste and sauté for 1 min stirring continuously.
- Pour the coconut milk & water. Stir briskly to mix everything well in the pot. Deglaze the pot with the help of your spatula by scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot to help loosen any stuck food particles. This will prevent the burn error! DO NOT rush this step. Cancel the sauté mode.
- Add the soy sauce and the minced cilantro stems, give everything a quick stir. Secure the lid of the instant pot seal the valve and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for just 1 min. It'll take sometime to build pressure inside the pot. Once the cooking cycle is over the instant pot will begin to beep. Immediately perform a quick pressure release manually by moving the valve from the sealing to the venting position. When the metal floating pin on top of the lid drops open the lid carefully. CANCEL the pressure cook option.
Add veggies & tofu
- Now add all the chopped, diced veggies & the tofu cubes, gently give everything a quick stir. Hit back the sauté mode and set it on LOW heat setting. Simmer the red Thai curry for 2-3 mins or until the veggies are a bit tender according to your liking. We prefer cooked veggies that still have a lot of crunch left. Turn off the instant pot. Add the lime zest and cover the pot with a lid (you can use any skillet lid that fits the pot) and allow it to rest for 5 mins before serving. Serve the red Thai curry tofu recipe garnished with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
- Red Thai curry paste: My family loves an intense rich Thai flavor so I added 4 tablespoons store bought red Thai curry paste. However, if you prefer milder taste than add 2-3 tbsp.
- Spicy curry: Add diced red Thai chilis along with the veggies. Todays recipe is not spicy at all.
- Lemongrass: You can skip the lemongrass if you do not have it handy. You can also use lemongrass paste (1 tsp) which is readily available in the open fridge section (near the fresh herbs) of any big American supermarket.
- Can I add peanut butter: I have not tested this recipe using peanut butter.
- Veggies that go well: Broccoli, broccolini, mushrooms (white or baby bella), zucchini, bamboo shoots from the can, snow peas, carrots. You can also use dry mushrooms from the Asian store. Soak them in hot water for 30 mins, squeeze and add them along with the veggies.
- Veggies & Tofu: Add the veggies and tofu at the end and simmer the curry for sometime. This will prevent the veggies from turning into a mush and prevent the tofu from falling apart.
- Best Tofu: Always use extra firm tofu. They will not fall apart in the curry sauce and will hold up well when reheated. Do not use silken tofu ever, they are very soft and shall disintegrate into the curry sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Thai Red Curry Tofu
Serving Size
6 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
277
% Daily Value*
Fat
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
14
g
88
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
2
g
Sodium
273
mg
12
%
Potassium
262
mg
7
%
Carbohydrates
12
g
4
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
14
g
28
%
Vitamin A
2098
IU
42
%
Vitamin C
24
mg
29
%
Calcium
195
mg
20
%
Iron
5
mg
28
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition
Serving: 6gCalories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 14gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 273mgPotassium: 262mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2098IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 195mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Let us know how it was!
