Red Curry with Tofu & Green Beans

📝 Ingredients

• 600 g firm tofu
• 1 tbsp cornflour (about 8 g)
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 50 g red curry paste (no shrimp, check the label)
• 1 tin coconut milk (400 ml) + 100 ml water
• 300 g green beans (fresh or frozen)
• 1 red pepper (about 150 g)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 lime
• 15 g fresh basil
• 240 g jasmine rice

🍴 Utensils

• Wok or large non-stick sauté pan
• Saucepan with lid
• Clean tea towel
• Fine sieve
• Cutting board and knife

📖 Steps

1. Drain the tofu, wrap it in a clean tea towel and press it for 10 min under a board weighed down with a full saucepan: the drier it is, the better it browns. Meanwhile, top and tail the green beans and cut them in half, deseed the pepper and cut it into strips.
2. Rinse the jasmine rice in a fine sieve until the water runs almost clear. Put it in a saucepan with 1.5 times its volume of cold water, bring to the boil, cover and cook for 12 min over very low heat, then leave to rest for 5 min off the heat without lifting the lid.
3. Cut the tofu into 2 cm cubes and roll them in the cornflour. Heat the oil in the wok over medium-high heat and brown the cubes for 8 to 10 min, turning them every 2 min, until crisp and golden on all sides. Set aside on a plate.
4. Without washing the wok, lower to medium heat. Scoop out 3 tbsp of the thick part of the coconut milk (from the top of the tin, without shaking it) and fry the curry paste in it for 2 min, stirring, until fragrant and small drops of red oil appear.
5. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and the 100 ml water, add the soy sauce and sugar, then stir well to dissolve the paste. Bring to a simmer, add the green beans and cook for 6 min over medium heat (8 min if frozen).
6. Add the pepper strips and cook for another 3 min: the vegetables should stay slightly crunchy and brightly coloured. Return the golden tofu to the sauce and heat for 2 min without stirring too much, so it keeps its crunch.
7. Off the heat, squeeze the lime over the curry and add the roughly torn basil leaves. Taste and add a dash of soy sauce if needed. Curry paste is spicy: for a milder version, use half as much next time.
8. Fluff up the rice with a fork and divide it between 4 shallow bowls. Ladle over the piping hot curry, sharing out the tofu and vegetables evenly, then serve straight away, before the tofu softens in the sauce.