Vegan Massaman Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Tofu
My vegan Massaman curry is rich, intensely flavorful, and loaded with hearty sweet potatoes, tender veggies, and golden pan-fried tofu, all simmered in a luscious Thai-inspired coconut peanut sauce!
Servings: 4
Calories: 457kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ¼ cup vegan massaman curry paste, store-bought or homemade
- 1 (13.5 ounce/400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 medium sweet potato, diced into ½" to 1" cubes
- 2 cups fresh green beans, cut to 1" to 2" pieces
- 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu, cut into ½ to 1 inch pieces
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, or to taste
- Salt, to taste
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
For Serving
- Cooked rice
Optional Toppings
- Chopped scallions
- Chopped fresh basil
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with one tablespoon of the oil and place it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the curry paste. Sauté the paste for about one minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the coconut milk, sweet potato, and green beans. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat so that it's cooking at just a low simmer. Cover the pot and let the curry simmer for about 15 minutes, occasionally uncovering it to give the mixture a quick stir.
- While the curry simmers, cook the tofu. Coat the bottom of a medium nonstick skillet with the remaining tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the tofu. Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, flipping the pieces once or twice, until they're golden and crispy. Transfer them to a plate when done.
- Uncover the curry and stir in the bell pepper. Let the curry continue to simmer for about 5 minutes, until the pepper is tender.
- Stir in the tofu, then remove the pot from heat.
- Stir in the lime juice and season the curry with salt to taste.
- Serve over rice, topping each portion with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts and chopped scallions, basil, and/or cilantro.
Notes
This recipe was updated in June 2025. The original version omitted step 1 (sautéing the curry paste in oil) and simply instructed you to stir the curry paste and coconut milk together in the pot. It also used two cans of coconut milk and did not require covering the pot while the curry simmered.
The original recipe also included a homemade massaman curry paste, made by blending: ½ cup roasted peanuts, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and turmeric, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ⅛ teaspoon each ground black pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom, 5 to 15 soaked dried chile peppers, 1 stalk minced lemongrass, a 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, 4 garlic cloves, 1 shallot, 1½ teaspoons lime zest, ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup maple syrup, and the juice of 2 limes.
Nutrition
Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 818mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 11657IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 6mg