Tofu Rendang

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Rich, thick, and deeply spiced, this tofu rendang combines tofu, butternut squash, and sugar snap peas in a slow-simmered spiced coconut sauce. It’s a vegan take on the classic Malaysian curry that’s vibrant, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Malaysian

Servings:

Calories: 567kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Paste

8 dried chile peppers (or more if desired, up to 12)
3 lemongrass stalks
2 medium shallots, halved
5 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh galangal, grated
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the Curry

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
5 whole cloves
1 (14 ounce/400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
3 cups diced butternut squash
1 (5 ounce/142 gram) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
5 makrut lime leaves
2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate
2 teaspoons organic brown sugar
1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 cups sugar snap peas
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Cooked rice, for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the paste, first place the dried chiles into a small bowl or cup and cover them with hot water (Note 1). Let them soak for 10 to 15 minutes while you gather the rest of the paste ingredients.
Slice open the lemongrass stalks, lengthwise, then peel off the tough outer layers. Cut each stalk into 1-inch or smaller pieces, then add them to a blender or food processor fitted with an S-blade (Note 2).
Add the shallots, garlic, galangal, ginger, and vegetable oil to the blender or food processor. Remove the chiles from the water and add them as well.
Blend everything until relatively smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl or pitcher as needed. If you need a little liquid to get things moving, add two or three tablespoons of the coconut milk that you'll be using for the curry. Get the mixture to a paste — it doesn't need to be perfectly smooth as long as it's free of large chunks.
To make the curry, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the paste. Sauté the paste for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens a bit and begins to darken.
Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves to the pot and sauté them with the paste for a minute, stirring constantly.
Pour in a few tablespoons of the coconut milk and stir to loosen the paste. Once it begins to bubble, gradually stir in the remaining coconut milk. Next, stir in the butternut squash, bamboo shoots, makrut lime leaves, tamarind concentrate, and brown sugar. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce it to a low simmer and cover the pot. Let the curry simmer for about 15 minutes, until the squash is easily pierced with a fork.
Cook the tofu while the curry simmers. Coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with the remaining tablespoon of oil and place it over medium-high heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the tofu cubes, arranging them in a single layer. Cook the tofu for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping the pieces once or twice, until crispy and nicely browned. Remove the tofu from the skillet and move it to a plate.
Uncover the pot containing the curry and stir in the tofu. Allow the curry to continue simmering for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick and clings to the tofu and squash.
Stir in the sugar snap peas and let the curry continue simmering for 3 to 4 minutes, until the peas are bright green and tender-crisp.
Stir in the coconut, then remove the pot from heat. Season the curry with 1 teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste (Note 3).
Serve over rice.

Notes

Optionally, cut the chiles open and shake out the seeds first. This will reduce the heat level of the curry.
A mini food processor works best, since you'll be blending a small amount, but don't worry if you don't have one — as you can see, I'm using a large blender and was able to make it work.
You can remove the whole spices and lime leaves before serving if you'd like. Since it can be hard to dig everything out, I sometimes just warn my guests to look out for them as they're eating.
Nutrition information does not include rice.

Nutrition