Vegan Thai-inspired pad ped! This red curry stir fry is made with eggplant, snap peas and tofu smothered in red curry coconut sauce and dressed with whole peppercorns and fresh basil.
Stir the coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce, and maple syrup together in a small bowl.
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu in an even layer. Cook for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice to get browning on multiple sides. Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 1 minute, until very fragrant. Add the eggplant. Cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to brown and soften.
Raise the heat to high and add the snap peas to the skillet. Stir fry for about 2 minutes, until tender-crisp. Return the tofu to the skillet and add the coconut milk mixture, kaffir lime leaves, and peppercorns. Flip a few times and cook about 1 minute more.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil. Taste test and season with salt to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
Divide onto plates and serve with rice.
*I usually use jarred kaffir lime leaves. About 1 tablespoon should do it for this recipe. You can also buy them dried. If all else fails, substitute a few dashes of lime juice and some zest. The flavor will be a bit different, but still tasty.