Hello Hive!
Bean curd or tofu is a great alternative to meat dishes, a lifesaver whenever we run dry of ideas. You might have read previously that our family is flexitarian. We eat more plant-based meals at home but when invited for dinner or a party, we eat whatever is served.
We're fortunate to have a Taiwanese couple living in Moalboal making Firm Tofu without preservatives. They create a batch weekly and for a 500g order of Php 300 or USD$ 6 (Php 150 for 250g), they're conveniently delivered warm along with that fresh tofu aroma right on our doorstep, anywhere within Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines.
This particular tofu doesn't last in the fridge for more than two to three days, so when a delivery like this one happens, I try to cook various meals with them. One of these dishes that I'll feature today is Coconut Green Curry Tofu with Chayote.
To give you an idea, I often divide the tofu for about 150 g - 200 g per dish. So this order would be great for three different dishes. For a family of 3, this portion will more than cover lunch and dinner with an expected leftover for the next day.
You can pretty much use any vegetable you have in the fridge such as aubergines, carrots, etc but on the day I cooked this, I only had Chayote in the fridge. It's also known as sayote in our local language, an instant favorite during the lockdown for two reasons; it lasts a long time and is a pretty versatile vegetable.
It's just annoying to peel, but once it's all prepped, I'm grateful to have it every time.
Fry tofu on all sides until it turns golden brown. Remove the cooked tofu cubes from the pan, drain the oil and place them on a separate dish ideally with a kitchen towel roll to further soak the excess oil.
In the same pot, heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and add 4-5 teaspoons of green curry paste with 1 tsp of brown sugar (or coconut sugar if you prefer).
Add the onions and chayote and allow them to soften. Once they're cooked, add the whole can of coconut cream. Add 2/3 of the water in the same coconut cream can and pour it into the pot with a bouillon cube or vegetable broth.
I harvested two stalks of lemongrass from the garden and some spring onions.
Add the lemongrass. If you have kaffir lime leaves, it would even be better. As an alternative, I picked 4 pieces of fresh calamansi or Philippine lime from the garden and squeezed the juice into the curry. Add soy sauce and the cooked tofu into the curry. Season with salt and pepper.
Let it simmer and serve in a bowl of brown rice. The spring onion serves as garnishing.
There you have it, curry craving satisfied! Bon Appetit!
Is this a dish that you'd like to try making at home? Which vegetable do you like in your green curry?
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