Thai · lunch, dinner

Vegan Thai Red Curry with Tofu and Shiitake

Vegan Thai Red Curry with Tofu and Shiitake — from Pailin's Kitchen's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 9:28

Video by Pailin's Kitchen on YouTube · Open on YouTube

60 minServes 4360 kcal a serve
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free with a swap: Use tamari in place of the soy sauce and Golden Mountain sauce to keep it gluten-free
  • Nut-free

Contains: Gluten, Soy. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

A plant-based red curry that gets its savoury depth from dried shiitake and tomato paste instead of fish sauce. Each serve is a good source of iron and selenium.

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Ingredients 13

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Soak the dried shiitake in 2 cups hot water for at least 30 minutes. Squeeze them out (keep the water), discard the stems and slice the caps about 5 mm thick. 1:21
  2. Rinse the bamboo shoots, simmer them in water for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse again to remove the canned smell. 1:47
  3. In a heavy pot over medium heat, reduce ¾ cup of the coconut milk until thick and the oil starts to separate. Fry the curry paste in it, then stir in the tomato paste until the oil sizzles at the edges. 2:47
  4. Add the rest of the coconut milk and about 1 cup of the mushroom water and bring to a boil. Season with the soy sauce, Golden Mountain sauce and palm sugar. 4:49
  5. Add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots and torn lime leaves, then lay in the tofu and gently press it under the liquid. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, adding more mushroom water if it gets too thick. 5:41
  6. Add the red peppers for a minute, turn off the heat and stir in the Thai basil. Serve over jasmine rice. 6:57

Tip. Check the curry paste label: many brands contain shrimp paste. Coconut milk makes it high in saturated fat; light coconut milk cuts that. Serve with jasmine rice.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 4

Energy360 kcal1,510 kJ
Protein11 g22% of a day
Fibre2.3 g8% of a day
Carbohydrate18 g16 g net · 9.7 g sugars7% of a day
Fat30 g23 g saturated39% of a day
Sodium690 mg30% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 17%
  • Protein 12%
  • Fat 71%

Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Iron High50%

9 mg a serve, mostly from medium-firm smooth tofu (45%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Selenium High29%

16 µg a serve, mostly from coconut milk (45%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Vitamin C High26%

23 mg a serve, mostly from long red peppers (51%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Calcium High24%

309 mg a serve, mostly from medium-firm smooth tofu (85%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Vitamin K High23%

28 µg a serve, mostly from thai basil leaves (74%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Magnesium High22%

94 mg a serve, mostly from coconut milk (47%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Vitamin B6 Source19%

0.3 mg a serve, mostly from dried shiitake mushrooms (26%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Omega-3 Source18%

0.3 g a serve, mostly from medium-firm smooth tofu (84%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Zinc Source17%

1.9 mg a serve, mostly from coconut milk (38%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Potassium Source15%

690 mg a serve, mostly from coconut milk (38%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Folate Source12%

50 µg a serve, mostly from coconut milk (34%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

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Vitamin E7%

1 mg a serve, mostly from long red peppers (36%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Vitamin A4%

38 µg a serve, mostly from thai basil leaves (35%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Vitamin D1%

0.1 µg a serve, mostly from dried shiitake mushrooms (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin B120%

0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Pailin's Kitchen; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.