I am crazy about curry lately, but ordering Thai delivery can get pricey fast. This vegan tofu Masaman will satisfy your curry cravings for a lot less money!
Masaman is probably my favorite Thai curry. It's a little on the sweet side but can still pack a nice kick. If you prefer a more mild curry, back try using 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of paste, rather than the full 3. This curry isn't as spicy as a Panang or red curry, though, so I say go for it! You can also cut the spice with extra coconut milk at the end.
Masaman is not always vegan - even the paste itself sometimes contains shrimp paste - so read those ingredients before you buy! This one on Amazon is vegan, and I was able to find vegan Masaman curry paste at the Dekalb Farmers Market (YDFM), here in Atlanta. YDFM is more of an international grocer than a farmers market, really, so check your local Asian markets for Masaman paste. Curry pastes can be a little bit pricey, but a little goes a long way, and it's still a whole lot cheaper than eating out or ordering take-out.
Masaman curry recipes sometimes call for fancy ingredients, like tamarind paste, and I wanted to develop a vegan tofu Masaman recipe that doesn't use any special ingredients beyond the curry paste itself. This recipe worked out really well and was just as satisfying as the delivery curry I'd been ordering.
Vegan Masaman Curry
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Masaman curry paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/2 block of organic tofu
- 1/2 a sweet onion, diced
- 1 cup thin-skinned potato, cut into 1" cubes
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots or your favorite veggie, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional
- Roasted cashews, chopped cilantro, and diced avocado, optional.
Cooking Directions
- Heat the curry paste and oil in the bottom of a soup pot or Dutch oven on medium heat and toast for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the coconut milk, tofu, onion, potato, veggies, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve on its own or over noodles or rice, and top each bowl with the cashews, cilantro, and avocado, if you're using them.
Lindsay
Yum, I could eat Thai curry everyday. Thanks for the recipe... You may have just saved me a fortune.
Becky
Thanks, Lindsay! I'm glad I wasn't the only one with a Thai food takeout problem. 🙂
Jes
I love how simple this curry recipe is! Masaman is always so good, need to play around with the curry paste more.
Becky
My plan was to get a few types of paste, but the containers at YDFM are so big, I couldn't justify more than one sort.
Laura
I'm excited to try this. I love curries, but for some reason rarely make them.
Becky
Same here! I always thought of them as too much work, but if you splurge on the paste, it's really not so bad.
veganadian
This looks amazing! Thank you for sharing this, I will be making it some time soon! I have been having a weird craving for Curry lately, and this fits the bill :] ox
Becky
Enjoy it! The curry paste I used was Bright brand from YDFM. You get a ton in a container, and the masaman one was vegan. I didn't check the others, but they had red and green and maybe one other Thai curry paste, too!