Thai Panang Curry with Baby Eggplants and Tofu

A Thai-inspired recipe with eggplants and tofu. I am not Asian, and I don't want to claim this is an authentic Thai recipe! I had baby eggplants at hand, and I looked for ways to cook them. I couldn't find a single recipe that would satisfy me, so I got inspiration by 3-4 different ones, based on the ingredients I had available. The ready-made curry paste made it easy to prepare, and tasty for us. :) Serve with rice.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 486 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ onion, chopped
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 (12 ounce) package firm tofu, cubed
• 1 tablespoon oil, or as needed
• ½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, or more to taste
• 1 ¾ ounces panang curry paste
• 5 sweet chiles, halved and seeded
• ⅔ (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 12 baby eggplants, quartered, or more as desired

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry tofu until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Step 2

Add sesame oil and onion to the same skillet and cook onion until soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add curry paste and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add chiles; cook and stir for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and bring to a boil, mixing well.

Step 3

Add eggplants and bell pepper to the skillet with the coconut milk. Cook until eggplant is almost tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add tofu and tomatoes; cook until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes more.