Sweet plantains are simmered in rich and creamy peanut butter sauce and served with smoky tofu cubes to make this cozy curry. This one is loaded with flavor and can be on the table in just 30 minutes!
Well, I went to the produce store and made a bunch of impulse buys last week. Included in my purchase were a bunch of gorgeous figs, a 2 1/2 pound mango, and some ripe plantains.
The mango was the only buy that was a bit disappointing. This sucker was big and I had such high hopes! But it didn’t quite ripen evenly and I ended up with a mix of pale, not quite sweet enough parts, and some mushy spots. The figs were awesome and I’ve got a recipe on the way.
And that leaves us with some plantains!
I’ve been itching to try plantains in a curry for a while, so I was ready when I got home with these guys. I went with what I think of as an African-inspired peanut butter curry. If you’re a fan of African peanut stew you’ll enjoy this one!
I love curries this time of year, because they help me pretend it’s cold out already. We’re almost there, but yesterday it was still in the eighties here in southeastern Pennsylvania. Not for long! I’m ready with curry.
Also, curries are so easy! One pot is all you need. There are a bunch of ways to cook plantains, but I like them in a stew because you can just chop and toss them in. Check out this chili recipe if you want another chop and toss plantain recipe.
This one starts with some aromatics: onion, garlic and ginger. Add some curry powder, and then in with tomatoes and peanut butter. Stir it up, add the plantains and simmer until they’re soft.
Cook up your smoky tofu while the curry simmers. I used frozen tofu for this. While freezing the tofu certainly isn’t a requirement, it gives it a great texture and creates little pockets for it to suck up the smoky seasonings.
Pan-fry the tofu in a bit of oil, then add your seasonings and cook for a few more minutes until the liquid dries up.
Stir the tofu into the curry when it’s all done simmering, and then serve with rice and peanuts.
Vegan comfort food at it’s best.
Tips for Making Awesome Tofu & Plantain Curry
- What’s the best way to go about freezing tofu? There’s no real trick to it. You can either keep it in the package, or remove it stick it in a freezer bag. The only requirement is that it freezes completely.
- You can thaw your frozen tofu on the counter or in the microwave. You’ll find that it releases quite a bit of water, so keep it on a plate with a lip if it’s not in the original package.
- Look for plantains that are yellow with some brown spots. This means they’re nice and ripe. Don’t use green plantains for this.
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Smoky Tofu, Peanut Butter & Plantain Curry
Sweet plantains are simmered in rich and creamy peanut butter sauce and served with smoky tofu cubes to make this cozy curry. This one is loaded with flavor and can be on the table in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients
For the Curry
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, or high heat oil of choice
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 ripe plantains, sliced (1/2 inch thick)
- Salt to taste
For the Smoky Tofu
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, or high heat oil of choice
- 1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu, optionally frozen and thawed, drained and pressed
For Serving
- Cooked rice
- Chopped peanuts
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
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Begin by making the curry. Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place it over medium heat.
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When the oil is hot, add the onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
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Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. Sauté until very fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Stir in the broth, tomatoes, tomato paste and peanut butter. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Stir in the plantains.
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Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until it's thick and the plantains are soft. You can add a bit of water if it gets too thick during simmering.
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While the curry simmers, make the tofu. Stir the soy sauce, smoke, maple syrup and cumin together in a small bowl.
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Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu in an even layer.
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Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice, until browned on multiple sides.
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Add the sauce and flip a few times to coat the tofu. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
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When the curry has finished simmering, remove the pot from heat and season it with salt to taste. Stir in the tofu.
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Serve over rice and top with peanuts and cilantro.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information does not include rice, cilantro or peanuts.
Hi Alissa!
Could you add the amount of plantains in the ingredients list and when to add them in the instructions.
Thank you!
Sorry about that! I just fixed it! :)
This sounds wonderful—I’d like to make it, along with some sauteed greens on the side. But when do the plaintains go in? They aren’t listed under ingredients and the first mention of them is step 5, just “when the plaintains get soft.”
Oops! Sorry about that! I just corrected the recipe. Thank for catching that! I think this would go perfectly with some sauteed greens. :)
Loved this! Full flavored and easy to make. Made it exactly as written, although I was tempted to bake the tofu so as not to use oil because some of the die-hards on some WFPB groups act like any oil guarantees illness—but my husband got to it first and sauteed them with a little bit of algae oil (his new favorite—don’t know if you know about it—no oceany taste, but high smoke point and less saturated fat). Served it with quinoa instead of rice and sauteed spinach. Yum! Looking forward to the leftovers. It may be the type of dish that actually gets better as it sits. The sauce was quite thick but to me that’s a good thing and I wasn’t tempted to water it down. Thanks!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And I think the tofu would bake up just fine – I was tempted to do that myself, but since I was already using the stove I decided to pan-fry instead. Thanks so much Ellen!
This looks delicious! I’ve been cooking a lot with plantains this year (most recently stew that also included taro and yuca roots); I love mine when they’re almost black and quite sweet. Your curry is now on the list for next week!
I love them when they’re super sweet too – got a little impatient waiting for these ones to ripen though! That stew sounds delicious. I hope you enjoy this one as well!
Do you need to drain and press the tofu before freezing? Thanks!
Nope! It becomes more porous when you freeze it, so the water should squeeze right out of it after you thaw it. :)
So delicious 😋. I was searching for a savory recipe using plantains and I think this will be my go to recipe. :-)
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Yummy
The liquid smoke was strange. I got a strong smoky smell while cooking, but after I added the “smoked” tofu to the curry, the smell was gone and the flavor was masked by the other flavors. I just made it again tonight and left it out. Liquid smoke doesn’t add anything to the dish. Also, this time, I pureed the tomatoes and onions before adding the plantains and tofu because I like a smoother curry.