This delicious coconut lime tofu curry is my Thai inspired take on a vegan coconut lime chicken. Packed with flavour and simple to make!
Ready in 30 minutes
Made in one pan
Delicious lime tofu chunks
Creamy lime coconut sauce
Make The Lime Tofu
This lime tofu is so tasty on its own that you could make it and add it into all kinds of summery protein bowls.
In order to better mimic the look and texture of pieces of chicken, I use extra firm tofu for this recipe and I pull it apart with my hands instead of using a knife to cut clean pieces.
Using extra firm tofu usually means you don't have to bother with pressing your block of tofu. The extra firm variety has the least amount of water and you can usually just drain the excess liquid in the package and get straight to cooking with your tofu.
- Simply heat a bit of oil in a pan
- Pull the tofu into chunks using your hands
- Brown the tofu for two minutes
- Add in tamari (or soy sauce) and lime juice to give it seasoning
- Sprinkle on cornstarch to coat the pieces and give them some more texture
- Cook for 5 more minutes until the tofu is golden brown!
Remove the tofu from the pan and keep warm while you cook the veggies and the sauce.
The Coconut Sauce & Veggies
Using the same pan the tofu cooked in, saute the veggies and make the quick coconut sauce.
This is a great recipe to be creative with the veggies you add. Feel free to use what you have on hand and make this recipe your own. In my coconut lime tofu curry recipe I use:
Onion
Red bell pepper
Zucchini
And bok choy
Once the veggies are all softened, I give it all some Thai inspired seasoning with some:
Garlic
Ginger
Ground coriander
Thai red chilies
And a pinch of turmeric
Finally, I pour in the coconut milk and add some extra lime flavour with a touch of sugar to balance the acidity and bring everything together nicely.
Recipe Cost For Coconut Lime Tofu Curry
This coconut lime tofu curry recipe costs us roughly $10.50 ($2.60/serving) using fresh limes. Our cost is just over $9 using lime juice from concentrate. I love that this feels like a meal I would order from a restaurant and even with a side of rice or noodles this recipe comes in way under $5 a serving!
Although I typically have lime juice from concentrate in my fridge, I prefer to make this recipe with fresh limes since the lime flavour is the star of this dish.
If I were to make this recipe with chicken in place of the tofu I would add at least $2 to my overall cost. Swapping the chicken for tofu is a great way to cut down a bit on the cost of a recipe while still getting a great source of protein into your meal.
Although tofu, like unseasoned chicken, can be quite bland in flavour... there are so many ways to make tofu delicious and exciting to cook with! Try this Quick & Easy Tofu "Feta" recipe next time you want to add feta cheese to a salad or pizza. For another Asian inspired main dish with tofu try my take on a Korean Japchae with a delicious sweet & spicy tofu.
Remember to let me know in the comments if you try this easy tofu curry and how you enjoy it!
Print
Coconut Lime Tofu - An Easy Thai Inspired Meal
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This delicious coconut lime tofu curry is my Thai inspired take on a vegan coconut lime chicken. Packed with flavour and simple to make!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 350g extra firm tofu, drained
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
- 2 fresh limes (or 3 - 4 tablespoon lime juice from concentrate)*
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
- ½ large yellow onion, sliced
- 1 zucchini, chopped in 2 -3 inch spears*
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced*
- 1 bunch shanghai bok choy (60g, sliced thinner lengthwise if desired)*
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ inch fresh ginger, minced or grated
- ½ - 1 Thai red chili pepper (or ½ tsp chili garlic sauce)
- ¾ tsp ground coriander
- Pinch of turmeric
- 400ml coconut milk, full fat
- 1 tsp cane sugar
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Drain any excess water from the tofu and pull it apart with your hands into larger chunks (see photos in the blog post for reference). Pulling the tofu apart allows for uneven edges and a look closer to chicken.
- Add the tofu to the warmed oil and sprinkle with black pepper. Brown the tofu for 2 minutes, stirring as needed.
- Splash in the tamari and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Brown for another 2 minutes turning the pieces to coat them.
- Sprinkle the tofu with the cornstarch, stir until no more starch is visible and allow the pieces to brown for another 5 minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan and keep warm.
- Add a splash more oil to the pan if needed and add the sliced onion. Cook for 2 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Add the sliced zucchini and bell pepper. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the bok choy and cook 2 minutes to soften.
- Next, stir in the garlic, ginger, fresh chillies (or hot sauce), coriander, the pinch of turmeric and another sprinkle of pepper.
- Pour in the coconut milk. Bring the liquid to a simmer, add the remaining 3 tablespoon lime juice, cane sugar, and the zest of one lime if using fresh limes. Simmer for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar and blend the flavours.
- Serve with rice or soba noodles. I like to pack brown rice into a small bowl or ramekin, place my serving dish over the ramekin and flip the two so the serving dish is on the bottom. Remove the bowl or ramekin and the rice should stay packed in a mound. Spoon some sauce and veggies into the serving dish. Add a few pieces of the lime tofu. Spoon a bit more sauce over the tofu and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Approximate cost: CAD $10.46 with fresh limes, $9.33 with lime juice from concentrate. Making this recipe with chicken in place of the tofu would add at least $2 to our overall cost.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Thai Inspired
Judy Kowalsky
I made the coconut tofu the other night for supper, we both enjoyed it and I’ll certainly make it again. I appreciated the detailed directions especially for my initial attempt at this dish!
Kathryn Alexandre
I'm glad my directions were helpful and that you both enjoyed your meal. Thank you so much for letting me know!
Maria
5 stars are not enough for this dish. Everything about it is a 5+. The presentation (I copied yours exactly), the aroma and the medley of flavours. Excellent!
Kathryn Alexandre
Yay! I'm so glad you loved it and thank you for giving this one a try! Thank you for the lovely star rating as well!
cath
I really appreciate this new way to cook tofu! so many other recipes want you to press it for hours and then bake it in a 400 degree oven- it's summer, I don't want to do that! Your method made came out crispy and the whole dish was great.
Kathryn Alexandre
I'm so glad you liked this method and enjoyed the whole dish Cath! I do love this one in the summer! Thank you so much for trying it and taking the time to come back and leave a lovely star review.