Thai Green Curry Tofu with Eggplant 🥥🌿

Description

Silky Thai green curry with crisp seared tofu, tender eggplant, and a glossy coconut broth built from real green curry paste, finished with Thai basil for that clean, premium restaurant aroma. 🌿

Hook ✨

If you want a top searched Thai curry that feels expensive but stays meat free, this green curry nails the balance, bright heat, coconut richness, and a fresh basil finish that tastes like a proper Thai kitchen. ✨

Ingredients

• Tofu and vegetables
• 🧊 500 g firm tofu, pressed 10 min, 2 cm cubes (1.1 lb)
• 🍆 350 g Thai eggplant or Japanese eggplant, bite size pieces (12 oz)
• 🫑 150 g red bell pepper, thin slices (1½ cups / 5.3 oz)
• 🧅 120 g onion, thin slices (1 cup / 4.2 oz)
• 🧄 12 g garlic, minced (4 cloves / 0.4 oz)
• 🫚 10 g ginger, minced (1 tbsp / 0.35 oz)
• 🛢️ 30 ml neutral oil, divided (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• Curry base
• 🥥 400 ml coconut milk, full fat (1⅔ cups / 13.5 fl oz)
• 💧 200 ml water or light veg stock (¾ cup / 6.8 fl oz)
• 🌿 45 g green curry paste (3 tbsp / 1.6 oz)
• 🥣 30 ml soy sauce (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🍯 15 ml sugar syrup or honey (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 🍋 15 ml lime juice (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• Finish
• 🌿 20 g Thai basil leaves (2 packed cups / 0.7 oz)
• 🌶️ 1 fresh chili, thin sliced, optional (1)
• 🍋 1 lime, wedges (1)
• 🍚 450 g cooked jasmine rice, to serve, optional (3 cups / 1 lb)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Prep the tofu
2. Press tofu 10 min, pat very dry, and cut into 2 cm cubes so it browns instead of steaming. 🧻
3. 2️⃣ Sear until golden
4. Heat a 28 cm (11 in) skillet on medium high, add 15 ml (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz) oil, sear tofu 6–7 min total until deeply golden on multiple sides, transfer to a plate. 🔥
5. 3️⃣ Start the curry paste
6. Lower heat to medium, add 15 ml (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz) oil, add curry paste, stir 45 sec until fragrant and glossy, do not scorch. 🌿
7. 4️⃣ Split the coconut
8. Add 120 ml (½ cup / 4 fl oz) coconut milk and whisk 60 sec until it looks slightly thicker and the oil starts to sheen on top. 🥥
9. 5️⃣ Build the base
10. Add garlic and ginger, stir 20 sec, then add onion and cook 2 min until just softened. 🧄
11. 6️⃣ Simmer the vegetables
12. Add eggplant and bell pepper, pour in remaining coconut milk plus water or stock, bring to a gentle simmer and cook 10–12 min until eggplant is tender but not collapsing. 🍆
13. 7️⃣ Season clean
14. Stir in soy sauce and sugar syrup or honey, simmer 2 min, then taste and adjust with a little more soy or lime depending on your paste strength. 🥣
15. 8️⃣ Return tofu and finish
16. Add tofu back in, simmer 2 min, turn off heat, stir in Thai basil and lime juice, rest 2 min so the aroma blooms. 🌿

Total Time

⏱️ Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 20 min
🛋️ Rest: 2 min
⏰ Total: 37 min

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