Vegan Panang Curry with Tofu
This popular vegan panang curry recipe is easy to make in under 30 minutes with simple pantry ingredients and a hit with everyone who makes it!
What is Panang Curry?
Panang curry, also spelled phanaeng or panaeng, is a thick Thai curry with a sweet, salty and nutty peanut flavour.
Traditionally, Thai panang curry is made with chili peppers, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, shallot, shrimp paste, salt and peanuts.
This recipe is my version of Thai panang curry. I use light coconut milk, curry powder, tomato paste and peanut butter instead of traditional ingredients.
Ingredients
- coconut milk – you can use light or full-fat coconut milk, I tend to lean towards light coconut milk because I find full-fat to be a bit too heavy…plus this recipe already had added fats from the peanut butter
- tomato paste – any canned tomato paste works
- broth – use homemade or store-bought, carton broth or bouillon cubes work
- peanut butter – be sure to use a good quality, natural peanut butter with just 1-2 ingredients (peanuts or peanuts and salt)
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Step by Step Instructions
Before You Start: If you plan to serve over rice, which is recommended), start preparing that now so it can cook while you make the curry.
Step 1. Cook the onion, garlic and carrot in a skillet over medium heat until they start to soften. This should take 6-7 minutes. After that, add the zucchini and bell pepper.
Step 4. Add the tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric and salt, stir well and cook for a couple more minutes then add the broth and coconut milk and simmer until the carrots are tender and the curry is thick and creamy.
Step 5. Add the maple syrup, cilantro, peanut butter and tofu, mix it all up and cook for a few minutes until the tofu is heated through. That’s it!
Serve the finished curry over a bowl of your favourite rice.
Notes and Tips
- Storage: Let cool then serve in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It will thicken when it cools and can be thinned with additional broth or coconut milk if desired when reheating.
- Veggies: Carrot can be omitted or subbed with sweet potato or squash. Broccoli works well in addition to or in place or peppers and zucchini.
- Peanut Butter: Can be substituted with almond butter if needed but I really prefer peanut butter in this recipe.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Vegan Panang Curry Tofu
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This creamy vegan curry is easy to make in about 20 minutes. All you’ll need to make it is basic pantry ingredients plus some tofu and vegetables. It’s thick, creamy, full of flavour and amazing served over a bed of basmati rice ready to soak up all the goodness.
Ingredients
- 1 white onion, diced (2 cups, approx. 300g)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chopped carrots (approx. 300 g)
- 1 small zucchini, sliced (approx. 1 heaping cup)
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup tomato paste (60 g)
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (substitute coconut sugar or other natural sweetener of choice)
- 1/3 cup natural peanut butter (100 g)
- 1 350 g packaged firm tofu, cubed
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- cooked white or brown rice, for serving
Instructions
- Add 2 tbsp of oil, water or broth to a large skillet with the diced onion, garlic and carrot. Cook for 6-7 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until starting to soften and become fragrant.
- Add the zucchini and red pepper and stir to combine, adding a bit more cooking liquid if the pan is drying out.
- Add the tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric and salt and cook for a few more minutes, stirring to combine.
- Add the vegetable broth and coconut milk and simmer lightly until the carrots are tender and it’s thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally as it cooks.
- Stir in the maple syrup, peanut butter, cilantro and cubed tofu and cook for a few more minutes until the peanut butter is combined and the tofu is heated through.
- Serve over basmati, brown rice or quinoa.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
- Calories: 244
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fat: 16 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 11 g
Update Note: Originally published on May 3, 2018. Updated with new photos and text on September 4, 2020.
I’ve made this twice, from the recipe book I downloaded over the summer. I see you have updated the instructions here to include the turmeric and salt ;). This is really REALLY good, but for my taste buds I needed to add more curry to blend with the peanut butter. Also, I’ve not been able to get the broth to thicken with 1 1/2 C broth, so version 3 for me will be 1 C. I used a bundle of spinach in place of the cilantro (you do like cilantro and celery…). Plus some chopped green beans for extra veggies. (Ooh, would pineapple work here?)
Deserving of 5 stars even though I tweaked it to suit. A great recipe is tasty and flexible! Thank you!!
Thanks for your feedback and adjustments! I’m so glad you’ve been able to make the recipe work for you. I wouldn’t do pineapple personally but let me know if you try it!
This is delicious! I added a few mushrooms as well. I will be making this on a regular basis! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Sounds delish with mushrooms!
I have no point of reference having never eaten a panang curry before, but this was sooooo delicious. I could eat a bucket of it. I did a full vego version and used beans, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms and brocolli (no tofu). It was perfect. I didn’t add the salt but it seemed to make no difference. And left out the coriander because I hate it lol.
Filing it away to make again.
This recipe is INSANE! I just led a cooking class over zoom for the members of the zero waste club at my high school and we cooked this recipe together as a part of our meatless Monday’s campaign. Everyone had so much fun, it was such a simple and easy to follow recipe, and it came out beyond delicious. It tasted like legit Thai food!! I will 100% be making this again!
Aw that’s so awesome!! So glad everyone loved it and it was fun to make. Thanks so much for letting me know!
I made this last night…delicious! Can leftovers be frozen?
They can, yes. I don’t love freezing and thawing coconut milk but you can if you must, let cool then freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. It will also keep in fridge for up to 5 days. Glad you enjoyed!
This is the yummiest curry – thank you! I’ve made it twice this week and subbed chickpeas (for tofu) and used sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Tonight we added cashews when serving. Serious deliciousness!
coconut oil or coconut milk. Ingredients list says coconut milk but preparing directions say coconut oil
In step 1, you can saute the veggies in coconut oil, water or broth. In step 4, you add the coconut milk.
Great recipe! This was so easy and fun to make. My husband and I have been trying to eat more plant based recipes. He was surprised how much flavor it packed and enjoyed eating every bite!
This is one of our absolute faves – we keep walking back to the stove to grab another spoonful haha!
I press the tofu beforehand (I don’t know if it’s necessary but I do it anyway) and then I actually put the tofu in at the same time as the coconut milk & broth, and I let it soak up the flavours for the remaining time! I also add mushrooms, they are soo good in this curry.
Absolutely loved it!! Someone mentioned sodium content, do you have the macros calculated? I used a few drops of stevia and add Swiss chard (out of spinach), will be making it frequently.
Glad you enjoyed it! The nutrition facts are located at the bottom of the recipe. Thanks!