Vegetarian Yellow Curry

This is the best curry dish I have ever had. A Japanese roommate and I made it up in college on a dark winter night to avoid writing final papers out of the leftovers we dug up in the kitchen. The curry paste is easy to find in little cans at import stores, and you can add as little or as much spice as you want to the dish. It is both one pot and vegetarian. Serve over a big scoop of rice and garnish with peanuts, cilantro, and raisins.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 455 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
• 1 dried red chile pepper
• 2 tablespoons curry paste, or more to taste
• 1 (12 ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cubed
• 2 small potatoes, cubed
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 cup milk, or more to taste
• 2 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) bag fresh spinach

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and garlic; cook until garlic is gently browned, about 1 minute. Add curry paste and whole chile pepper; pan-fry until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion; cook until softened but not yet translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 2

Add tofu; pan-fry until all sides are browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Saute until carrots and celery begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Step 3

Add coconut milk and regular milk to cover vegetables. Add zucchini and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until all vegetables are soft and potatoes are cooked, about 20 minutes. Add spinach and stir until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 4

Remove chile pepper before serving.