Let me be transparent, I have never been to Asia and I did not grow up eating Asian cuisine of any kind. I think I have only actually had red curry a couple of times at Thai restaurants (I prefer to order pad Thai). That doesn’t mean that this recipe isn’t damn good though! I like that it’s quick and easy to make and that I can just reheat leftovers the next day(s).
Red Curry Noodle Bowl
Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
- 400 gr (14 oz) rice noodles
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 cm (1 inch) finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large bell pepper or 2 small ones, sliced into strips
- 200 gr (7 oz) mushrooms, sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 can (14 oz, 500 ml) coconut milk
- 400-500 gr firm tofu, cut into cubes
- 400 ml (1 ½ cup) vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon plain vinegar or fresh lime/lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
- Fresh chopped basil, cilantro and/or green onion
Steps
- Grate the ginger, slice the garlic and wash and prepare all of the vegetables and tofu.
- To cook the amount of pasta you will be serving (see note). Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and set a timer for the allotted cooking time on the package. I find it’s helpful to mix the noodles often while they boil so that they don’t stick together. Once the timer rings, rinse the noodles very well under cold, running water. Set aside.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute. Stir in the red curry paste and turmeric. Then mix in the coconut milk and the broth. Bring to a boil.
- Add the peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and tofu. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 6-8 minutes. Don’t let the veggies overcook because they will begin to fall apart. The carrot should still have a bit of a crunch to it.
- Add the soy sauce, fresh citrus juice or vinegar, and fish sauce, if you have it (see note).
- Divide the rice noodles into bowls and pour the curry over the noodles. Garnish with the fresh herbs.
NOTES:
- About the rice noodles: I like the thicker cut ones, sometimes they are packaged as “Thai noodles,” “wide,” or “XL” and I find them at my local Asia Markt (Asian grocery store). This recipe makes 6 servings, but I don’t cook all of the 400 gr of rice noodles on the night that I make the curry. I only cook about 130 gr per night (enough for two people) and store the leftover curry in the fridge. The noodles cook up really quickly, so the next day, as you heat up the leftover curry, cook the noodles you’ll need on that day.
- I buy red curry paste in the store; I don’t make it myself. PLEASE! I’d have no idea where to start! Not all red curry paste is the same, so taste a pinch of it to see how spicy it is and decide if you want to use 2 or 3 tablespoons of it.
- If you have it, a splash of fish sauce adds wonderful flavor at the end.
- Use other vegetables if that’s what you prefer or have on hand. Cauliflower works really well in this recipe too, and I even use it to replace the tofu.
