Plantain Peanut Curry with Smoky Tofu

4.67 from 6 votes

Plantain Peanut Curry with Smoky Tofu

Sweet plantains are simmered in a rich and creamy peanut butter curry sauce, then served with smoky tofu cubes for a cozy, flavor-packed dinner. This hearty plantain curry is loaded with sweet, savory, smoky, and spicy flavors in every bite.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Entree

Cuisine: African-Inspired, American

Servings:

Calories: 637kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Curry

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
⅓ cup creamy natural peanut butter
¼ cup tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
Salt, to taste

For the Plantains

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 ripe plantains (yellow with black spots) sliced (½ inch thick)

For the Smoky Tofu

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cumin

For Serving

Cooked rice
¼ cup chopped peanuts
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Begin by making the curry. Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion and bell pepper. Sweat the vegetables for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften.
Stir in the peanut butter and tomato paste. Cook the mixture for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the peanut butter and tomato begin to darken and caramelize.
Push everything in the pot to the side, then stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Cook while stirring constantly for about 1 minute, until the aromatics and spices become very fragrant.
Stir in a bit of the broth and bring it to a simmer. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any burned bits from the bottom of the pot, then add the remaining broth and coconut milk. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, until slightly thickened. You can take the pot off of heat if the plantains and tofu aren't ready when the curry has finished simmering.
Cook the plantains while the curry simmers. Coat the bottom of a medium nonstick skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the plantain slices in an even layer. Cook the slices in batches if needed for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until softened and browned. Move them to a plate when done.
Cook the tofu next. Keep the skillet that you used for the plantains over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes in a single layer. Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, flipping the pieces once or twice, until golden brown.
While the tofu cooks, stir the soy sauce, brown sugar, and cumin together in a small bowl. Ladle 2 tablespoons of sauce from the simmering pot of curry, then add it to the soy sauce mixture. Carefully pour the sauce mixture over the tofu, flip the tofu a few times to coat the cubes in sauce, then cook them for a minute or two, until the sauce thickens and caramelizes on the tofu cubes.
Stir the plantain slices into the curry, being careful not to break them. Let the curry simmer for 1 to 2 more minutes, then stir in the tofu and let it simmer another 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove the pot from heat and season the curry with salt to taste.
Serve over rice and top with peanuts and cilantro.

Notes

Nutrition information does not include rice, cilantro, or peanuts.

Nutrition