red curry w/ rice noodles, veggies + crispy tofu

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4-6

• 1 packet flat rice brown noodles about 300g
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large carrots sliced julienne
• 2 broccoli stalks sliced julienne (I steam the heads and have as a side with this meal)
• 6 spring onions sliced thinly
• 4 tbsp red curry paste (add or reduce to your liking of spiciness)
• 1 block firm tofu
• 3 cloves minced fresh garlic
• 1 tsp ginger chopped finely
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tin coconut milk
• 1 tin coconut cream
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• Coriander – a good handful, sesame seeds, lime and chilli flakes to garnish

METHOD

1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions and set aside, toss with some olive oil to prevent sticking or place in an icy bowl of water.
2. Heat a large deep fry pan over medium to high heat, add the olive oil, curry paste, garlic, ginger, honey and fry for about 2 minutes, add the spring onions and cook for a further 2 minutes.
3. Add the julienne vegetables to the fry pan and cook for a further 5 minutes. Then pour in the coconut milk, coconut cream and vegetable stock and simmer on a low heat for 5-10 minutes. I like the vegetables still a little bit crunchy so I usually only do 5 minutes here.
4. While the curry is simmering, slice up the tofu into small cubes and then fry in a fry pan with some olive oil until nice and crispy. Set aside.
5. Once the curry has finished simmering and the vegetables are beginning to soften, add the noodles and toss to combine. Heat for a further 5 minutes until the noodles are hot. It is important to NOT add the noodles until you are almost ready to serve otherwise they will overcook.
6. Scoop out the curry noodles into your serving bowls, sprinkle some crispy tofu on top and garnish with coriander (I like lots in this dish), sesame seeds and chilli flakes.
7. Enjoy!

NOTES

If you have the time, a few hours prior to cooking this, dice up your tofu and place on some paper towel (bottom and on top) then cover with something heavy like a cook book. This removes a lot of the moisture from the tofu and will make it easier to fry and give you a crispier texture on the outside. You could also add lots more vegetables to this dish, get creative!