Name: Thai Yellow Coconut Curry
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 10 dried red chilis, chopped and de-seeded; 2 medium shallots, finely sliced (165g chopped); Avocado oil; 1 bulb garlic or 10 cloves, finely minced/grated (40g minced); 2 tbsp grated galangal or ginger (15g grated); 2 lemongrass stalks, use the soft inner part, finely minced (18g minced); 1 tbsp coconut sugar; 1 tsp ground turmeric or 1 tbsp fresh turmeric, finely grated; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp white pepper; 1 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos; 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk; 2 Thai red chilis, halved and de-seeded (add 1-2 more if you want it spicy); 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more as needed; 20 oz extra firm tofu, chopped into large cubes (~500g chopped); Avocado oil, white pepper, kosher salt; 3 small carrots, thinly sliced on a bias; ~30 Thai basil leaves; 2-3 Fresno peppers, thinly sliced on a bias, for garnish; Jasmine rice for serving

Ingredients

Scale

Homemade Yellow Curry

10 dried red chilis, chopped and de-seeded
2 medium shallots, finely sliced (165g chopped)
Avocado oil
1 bulb garlic or 10 cloves, finely minced/grated (40g minced)
2 tbsp grated galangal or ginger (15g grated)
2 lemongrass stalks, use the soft inner part, finely minced (18g minced)
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp ground turmeric or 1 tbsp fresh turmeric, finely grated
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
2 Thai red chilis, halved and de-seeded (add 1-2 more if you want it spicy)
2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more as needed

Other Ingredients

20 oz extra firm tofu, chopped into large cubes (~500g chopped)
Avocado oil, white pepper, kosher salt
3 small carrots, thinly sliced on a bias
~30 Thai basil leaves
2-3 Fresno peppers, thinly sliced on a bias, for garnish
Jasmine rice for serving

Instructions

Soak the dried chilies. Roughly chop the chili and transfer to a bowl, leaving the seeds behind. Cover with boiling water and soak for 30 minutes to hydrate, then drain (reserve the soaking water for later).
Prep the aromatics and spices (mise en place). Finely slice the shallots and add to a large pan or braiser-style pot along with a generous amount of avocado oil (I used about 3-4 tbsp). Mince or grate the garlic with a microplane, and add it to a bowl along with the grated galangal and minced lemongrass. Add the coconut sugar and spices to a small bowl.
Bake the tofu. Preheat the oven to 450°F (I used the air-fry setting on my toaster oven for the best crispy tofu), and line a medium sheet pan with parchment paper. Dump the tofu onto the sheet pan, drizzle with a generous amount of avocado oil, sprinkle over white pepper and kosher salt, and toss to coat. Bake the tofu for 25-30 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp.
Sauté the aromatics. Fry off the shallots in avocado oil or any neutral oil until translucent, then add the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass, and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes to toast. Sprinkle in the coconut sugar, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and white pepper. Stir to bloom (about 30 seconds), then deglaze the pan with the soy sauce, and remove from the heat.
Blend the curry. Scoop the curry out and add into a blender along with the coconut milk, hydrated dry chilies, fresh Thai chilies, and salt. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Simmer and serve. Dump the curry back into your pan, along with the chopped carrots and crispy tofu. Let simmer, covered, for 15 minutes on medium heat, or until the carrots are tender. Taste and adjust for salt. Turn off the heat and stir through the Thai basil leaves. Serve with white rice, and garnish with thinly sliced Fresno peppers and extra Thai basil leaves.