With hearty potatoes, green beans and pan-fried tofu, this yellow curry is hearty, comforting, and absolutely delicious! Easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Thai curries are where it's at when it comes to creating a show-stopping dinner that also happens to be super easy to make. There's a ton of flavor in a few spoonfuls of curry paste, so you don't need to do much to make the meal delicious!
Yellow curry is a favorite in our house lately. The flavor is warm and cozy, but also mild. Yellow curry doesn't pack quite as much heat as other Thai curries like red or green, so it's perfect for anyone who's sensitive to heat.
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What You'll Need
- Peanut oil. Or use another high-heat oil. Whatever you have on hand!
- Onion.
- Yellow curry paste. Check the ingredients on your curry paste to ensure it's vegan. I use Maesri brand.
- Coconut milk. Preferably use the full-fat variety, in a can. Light coconut milk can be substituted, but your curry will be less rich and creamy. Definitely don't use the type of coconut milk sold in cartons, or another type of non-dairy milk.
- Potato. The recipe calls for a russet potato, but you could substitute red or gold potatoes if that's what you've got on hand.
- Green beans. Feel free to substitute another veggie if you're not into green beans, but keep in mind that you might need to adjust the cook time. Most veggies cook quite a bit quicker than green beans.
- Soy sauce. Or use gluten-free tamari for a gluten-free dish.
- Brown sugar. Use organic to keep the recipe vegan. Coconut sugar works as well.
- Tofu. Extra-firm or super firm tofu works best in this recipe.
- Water.
- Cornstarch.
- Cilantro. Cilantro haters can sub scallions or fresh basil.
- Rice. This is optional, for serving. Jasmine rice is preferred, but just about any variety will do!
How to Make Thai Yellow Curry
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll down if you'd prefer to skip right to the recipe!
- Heat up some oil in a large pot, then add sliced onions. Cook the onions for a few minutes, until they begin to soften up, stirring them every so often.
- Add the curry paste and sauté it with the onions for about a minute.
- Stir in the coconut milk, diced potatoes, green beans, soy sauce, and brown sugar.
- Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Lower the heat and cover the pot. Let the curry simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes and green beans soft.
- While the curry simmers, cook your tofu. Heat up some oil in a skillet, then add diced and pressed tofu.
- Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, flipping it once or twice to get the cubes browned and crispy on multiple sides.
- Take the lid off of the curry and stir in the tofu.
- Stir some cold water and cornstarch together in a small bowl or cup, then stir your cornstarch mixture into the curry. Let the curry continue simmering for just a minute or so, until it thickens up a bit.
- Take the pot off of heat and give your curry a taste-test. Adjust any of the seasonings to your liking.
- Serve the curry over rice with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top.
Yellow Curry Tips & FAQ
- Can this recipe be made gluten-free? Yup! Just substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce.
- Storage & shelf-life: Curry keeps great and make for excellent leftovers! Store leftover curry in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Can I substitute red or green curry paste? Sure! The dish won't be yellow curry, but it should still be delicious!
- Is yellow curry spicy? Like pretty much all Thai curries, yellow curry has some heat to it. It is milder than most other Thai curries though!
More Thai Curry Recipes
- Green Curry with Tofu & Veggies
- Thai Butternut Squash Curry
- Golden Spring Vegetable Thai Curry
- Thai Massaman Curry
- Thai Red Curry with Tofu & Eggplant
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Thai Yellow Curry with Potatoes & Tofu
With hearty potatoes, green beans and pan-fried tofu, this yellow curry is hearty, comforting, and absolutely delicious! Easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 4 tablespoons yellow curry paste (or to taste)
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 medium russet potato, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) package extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon organic brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
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Coat the bottom of a large pot with 1 tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat.
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Give the oil a minute to heat up, then stir in the onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, until it softens up a bit and becomes translucent.
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Stir in the curry paste. Cook it with the onion for about a minute, stirring often.
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Stir in the coconut milk, potato, green beans, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pot.
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Allow the curry to simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, until the potato and green beans are soft.
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While the curry simmers, coat the bottom of a medium skillet with a tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat.
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Once the oil is hot, add the tofu in a single layer.
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Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, flipping it once or twice, until the pieces are browned on multiple sides.
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Remove the skillet from heat and transfer the tofu to a plate.
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When the curry has finished simmering, remove the lid and stir in the tofu.
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Stir the cold water and cornstarch together in a small bowl or cup.
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Stir the cornstarch mixture into the curry. Let it continue simmering for about a minute, until thickened slightly.
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Remove the pot from heat. Taste-test the curry and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
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Sprinkle with cilantro and serve over rice.
This was totally delicious! I felt like I was out for Thai food with my husband and yet made this without oil and with added veggies. I will definitely make it again. I plan to try it with soy milk next time for lower fat. Any comments on that? It was delicious with full fat coconut milk but I have to watch my cholesterol. Thanks for this easy and superb recipe.
Glad you enjoyed it! I'm not sure how it would be with soymilk, since a lot of the flavor in Thai curries comes from the coconut milk. Light coconut milk should work if that's an option for you!