Vegan Panang Curry with Tofu
on Sep 04, 2020, Updated Aug 29, 2024
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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!
About the Recipe
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. It’s:
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
- Broth: Use homemade or store-bought, carton broth or bouillon cubes.
- Peanut Butter: Be sure to use a good quality, natural peanut butter with just 1-2 ingredients (peanuts or peanuts and salt). Can be substituted with almond butter if needed but I really prefer peanut butter in this recipe.
- 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.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
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.
Step 2: Add the zucchini and bell pepper and stir to combine then add the tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric and salt. Stir and cook for a few more minutes.
Step 3. Add the broth and coconut milk and simmer until the carrots are tender and the curry is thick and creamy.
Step 4: 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.
Serve the finished curry over a bowl of your favourite rice, noodles or any other whole grain.
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Vegan Panang Curry Tofu
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
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup tomato paste, 60 g
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 14 oz 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
- 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. 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. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.
- Serve over basmati, brown rice or quinoa.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Update Note: Originally published on May 3, 2018.
Sooooo good honestly 🙂 simple & very tasty ! We made it with some pasta, it was great ! Thank you
We loved it, took it to a dinner party and they loved it too! Definitely a keeper!
Our whole family loved this recipe!! So yummy – it will definitely be one we come back to. I added some cauliflower, peas and some leftover beans. Also, my husband is allergic to PB, so I did a mix of cashew butter and cashew butter powder/water. I’m sure the PB is delicious too, but our version was just as good!
I’m on day 3 of your meal plan and I have to say, so far I’ve found everything to be amazing! I’m not following the exact meals by the exact day, I’m making what I have most ingredients to make first. Last night we did this Panang Curry and it was very good! I didn’t have any cilantro so that was missed and I did think 2 tsp of salt would be too much so I only did 1, then of course had to add more later. I should have listened to you! Overall my husband and I both thought it was great. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch today!
Thanks, Frances! Very happy to hear you’ve been enjoying everything so far. Thanks for letting me know!
So, true confession… I’ve always been afraid to try curry. But, I came across this recipe and decided I really ought to experiment beyond my comfort zone. I am so glad I did!! I absolutely loved this dish! Followed your recipe exactly, but did add broccolini to it (I wanted more green veggies). Thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe!! I will definitely make it again!
Thanks, Jennifer! So glad you decided to give it a try. It’s one of my favourites!
Followed the directions pretty much to the letter, and I have to say it came out FABULOUS. My wife keeps saying how much she enjoyed it and wants me to add it to our regular dinner rotation. The one change I made was to substitute Asian eggplant for the zucchini because Thai curries usually use eggplant, but to be honest I think zucchini would have been better. This is a keeper!
Really good! Don’t trust a curry recipe that doesn’t call for coconut milk! Next time I’ll double the carrots and zucchini and half the cilantro.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Wow I just tried this. One word… Phenomenal!!!
Thank you
Easy, nutritious, filling, and low in calories! What’s more to ask?
Hubby was literally licking the bowl in the end… he wanted every bit of that sauce! LOL
I made this dish a couple of times and it’s delicious. I added the curry powder and turmeric in step 1 as I find that adding those ingredients in step 2 gives it a raw taste. I also, saute the tofu a bit before adding it in. I really like the way it turned out. My family likes this recipe a lot; thank you
Perfect! So glad you like it!