One of our most popular menu items is our Green Curry Shrimp. And it’s easy to see why. It’s rich, creamy, spicy, and full of colorful veggies. I am a firm believer though that vegetarians deserve to get in on the fun too, and that’s how this Green Curry Tofu was born. I kept everything people love about the original, and swapped in crispy tofu for the shrimp. And for this version, I also use a commercial green curry paste which makes this a totally doable weeknight meal. Quick, easy, and delicious. Let’s do this!

Prepping the Green Curry Tofu Veggies

I start by getting the sweet potatoes ready. These soft sweet nuggets are a perfect contrast to the spicy curry sauce.

Then I boil them for 6-8 minutes until tender. You want them tender but not fall apart mush.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, I get the veggies and tofu ready. I like the contrast of shapes when cutting my veggies so I’m using a couple of different styles. It’s totally not necessary but you should try to keep them roughly the same size.

It’s important to get a nice golden crust on the tofu. It adds a lot of texture and flavor to the dish. Use a non-stick skillet because tofu has a lot of moisture and that moisture loves to grab onto the surface of the skillet. If you use a regular stainless skillet, you will hate yourself as you struggle to keep the crust from adhering to the pan. It’s not impossible, but you will need to heat the pan for a long time and use a lot more oil. Do yourself a favor a use a non-stick skillet or a well seasoned cast iron pan.

Cooking Green Curry Tofu

Now that the veggies are prepped and the tofu has been fried, it comes together really quickly.

The secret to the lusciousness of restaurant curries is coconut cream. Now’s not the time to fall into the low fat trap. At least use full fat coconut milk rather than the watery light versions. Coconut fat is good for you and it is essential to create a rich and creamy curry. If you’re ultra concerned, eat a little less and save some for your next meal!

Because this is a vegetarian (and vegan) dish, we’re not using the traditional fish sauce. However, it’s important to give the dish that deep, salty, earthy flavor that fish sauce imparts. Today we’re mimicking that flavor with soy sauce and miso. Used in combination, you get a similar umami goodness. You can also experiment with coconut aminos and a little salt with good results.

One the veggies are added, lower the heat to medium and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the eggplant has softened, stirring the pan occasionally.

I like to garnish this with fresh herbs and serve with rice to scoop up all the luscious sauce. A fresh squeeze of lime is nice too!

Can’t get enough curry? Try:

• Coconut Curry Noodles
• Red Beef Curry
• Curry Sweet Potato Soup

I hope you love this easy, weeknight Green Curry Tofu. Please take a moment to rate and comment on the recipe, and you can show off your food pics by tagging us @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!

Green Curry Tofu

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 Minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Thai

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Ingredients

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• 4 Tablespoons Oil
• 1 Block Firm Tofu
• ½ large yellow onion, sliced
• 2 cloves large garlic
• 1 Tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
• 1–2 thai bird chilies (optional for those who really like extra spicy foods)
• 3 ounces baby spinach 
• 1 Chinese eggplant, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 small sweet potato
• 1 handful cilantro or basil

Sauce:

• 2 oz green curry paste (I used ½ 4 oz maesri brand can)
• 10 fl oz coconut cream
• ½ Tablespoon Miso 
• ½ Tablespoon Soy sauce or Coconut Aminos
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper to Taste 

For serving:

• Hot rice
• Limes Wedges

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Instructions

1. Peel and trim the sweet potatoes.
2. Dice the sweet potatoes into 1” pieces.
3. Place the sweet potatoes into a small pot and cover with 3 cups of water.
4. Place the pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
5. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 6-8 minutes until tender but not falling apart. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
6. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, open the tofu package and then cut the tofu into small 1 ½“ pieces.
7. Set the tofu on a plate lined with a couple pieces of paper towel. Cover the tofu with some more paper towels (you can also use a clean kitchen towel) and gently press down on it to remove excess water. 
8. Heat a large 12” non-stick frying pan over medium heat for several minutes and then add 3 Tablespoons of the oil.
9. Place the tofu in one layer and let it cook undisturbed for 3-5 minutes until the bottom is crisp and browned.
10. Using a spatula, flip the pieces of tofu over and cook the other side for another 3-5 minutes until also crispy and browned. Take the tofu out of the pan and set aside.
11. Return the unwashed pan to the stove. Turn the heat to medium high.
12. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil and the onions. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
13. Add the ginger, garlic, and curry paste. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. 
14. Add the eggplant, sweet potatoes, coconut milk, miso paste, and soy sauce to the pan.
15. Bring the pan to a simmer, stirring to melt the miso into the sauce. Then, lower heat to medium and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the eggplant has softened, stirring the pan occasionally. 
16. Add the tofu, stir and cover. Lower heat to a medium low and cook for an additional 2 minutes until the tofu is hot. 
17. Taste and adjust seasoning with a little salt and ground pepper as needed.
18. Add the spinach and stir to wilt. Garnish with some cilantro or basil sprigs.
19. Serve the Green Curry Tofu immediately with hot rice and lime wedges.

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Keywords: green curry, tofu, thai, spicy, coconut, sweet potato, vegan

In these days where we are all amateur food photographers and critics, it’s easy to overlook less photogenic dishes. But sometimes the humblest looking food is the most delicious. That’s why I love David Chang’s show, Ugly Delicious, and I think this Curried Eggplant and Pork could star in an episode. It may not be much to look at it, but it is so rich and savory. It’s the perfect one-pot meal, with some rice of course. This dish has basic ingredients, easy cooking steps, and is delicious. Plus it’s economical and re-heats like a dream.

My mom is a great cook and so was my grandmother. When I was a kid, my sister and I would spend our summers in Japan at my grandparents’ house. My mom comes from a small city on the coast of Southern Honshu Island called Kii-Katsuura. It’s a quaint place where everyone kind of knows each other and it allowed us to have the kind of childhood every kid wants, full of autonomy and freedom. We would be on our bikes with cousins from morning to night, picnicking by the river, creating bonfires at the beach, and racing up the forest to reach the local waterfall, Nachisan.

And at night, my grandmother would often have dinner waiting for us. She loved to try new foods and taste different cuisines; one of the ways she was able to do this in a small city was to read through recipes posted in the local paper. So this recipe, which is based on a Chinese dish, was printed in the paper in the early 80s. As soon as my grandmother made it, I knew I wanted to have it again.

This dish, which is slightly familiar and slightly exotic, is home cooking at its best. Curried Eggplant and Pork is such a comforting dish, especially served over rice, and I think you’re going to love it-even if it won’t win any beauty pageants.

Prep First

Curried Eggplant and Pork is one of those recipes where I like to have everything prepped before I begin. That way, the cooking is a fast and easy process. I peel and cut the eggplant, mince the ginger and garlic, and dice the onion. I also make a water and cornstarch slurry and gather the sauce ingredients.

Once you have all the ingredients prepped, making Curried Eggplant and Pork is a breeze.

Curried Eggplant and Pork is a stew-like, braised dish. Once you add the chicken stock and the rest of the sauce ingredients, you let it gently simmer in the pan. The eggplant will become meltingly tender, and everything will cook down to a soft soupy texture. At this point you will add in the cornstarch slurry to help it thicken up a bit.

Curried Eggplant and Pork begs to be served on top of perfect rice to soak up all the yummy sauce. Try it tonight and let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, rate the recipe, and of course tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, hashtag ugly delicious optional.

Curried Eggplant and Pork

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: serves 4
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Chinese

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Ingredients

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• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 large eggplant, about 1 pound
• 1 Tablespoon neutral oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 2 Tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch 
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 scallion minced
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground pepper and salt to taste

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Instructions

1. Mix the cornstarch and water and set aside.
2. Peel the eggplant and slice it into thick pieces. Stack the eggplant and then cut it into ½ inch sticks and then cut the sticks into ½ inch cubes. Set aside.
3. Heat a large deep skillet (dutch oven works great) over medium high heat and add the oil and onion. Saute the onion for 5 minutes until translucent and very soft. Add the pork and break it up into small pieces. Cook it for 2-3 minutes until almost cooked. 
4. Add the ginger, garlic, and curry powder and stir to mix. Next add the eggplant and stir to combine. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, fresh ground pepper, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, partially cover, and lower the heat to medium. 
5. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from sticking, until the eggplant is soft and creamy. If there is still a white core, continue cooking for several more minutes. You want the eggplant completely cooked through.
6. Take a small taste and add a little salt if needed. Add the cornstarch slurry, making sure to give it a quick stir first. Stir it in and let it thicken for a minute.
7. Add the sesame oil, scallion, and cilantro and stir to combine. Serve immediately with some steamed rice.

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Keywords: curry, eggplant, pork, chinese food