These red curry noodles are the ultimate easy dinner … and they’re absolutely delicious! Made with pan-fried tofu, stir-fried veggies, and a spicy coconut milk sauce, this simple recipe tastes like something from a restaurant, but is actually super simple to throw together. It’s also vegan and gluten-free!
I love a good curry, and Thai curries are definitely some of the best! Thai curry pastes are positively loaded with flavor.
One really cool thing about Thai curry pastes is that you don’t have to stick to traditional curries with them. You can use them for flavoring all kinds of things! My red curry stir-fry and red curry noodle soup are a couple of delicious examples of this. And this recipe for red curry noodles combines the best of both of those dishes — you’ve got tender, slurpable noodles, but instead of putting them in soup, I went and stir-fried them with some tofu and veggies.
What I got was DELISICOIUS, and is now one of my favorite weeknight dinners. Give it at try and I think it’ll be one of your too!
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Rice noodles. I’m using stir-fry rice noodles, which have a medium thickness. Feel free to use finer noodles, like vermicelli, or wider noodles, like linguine, if you’d like.
- Vegetable oil. You can use pretty much any neutral high-heat oil in place of vegetable oil. Peanut oil, coconut oil, corn oil, and canola oil will all work!
- Tofu. Super-firm tofu is the best choice for this recipe. It has a nice texture and is really easy to work with. Extra-firm tofu will also work but make sure you press it before cooking it.
- Broccoli.
- Red bell pepper.
- Red curry paste. I like Maesri brand red curry paste. It’s very flavorful and it’s vegan! It’s also pretty spicy. Thai Kitchen brand is another option if you prefer a milder curry paste.
- Peanut butter. This adds flavor to the sauce, and also helps thicken it. You can leave it out or substitute another nut or seed butter if you’ve got an allergy.
- Coconut milk. I created this recipe using full-fat coconut milk, but light coconut milk should also work if you’d like to reduce the fat and calorie content of the dish.
- Lime juice. Use fresh lime juice to give the dish maximum flavor.
- Peanuts. Cashews will also work.
- Fresh basil. If you can get your hands on Thai basil or holy basil, us it! If not, Italian basil will do just fine (It’s what I used!)
- Fresh cilantro.
- Salt.
Tip: Feel free to get creative and switch up the veggies in this recipe! Carrots, cabbage, snap peas, and green beans would all work well.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by cooking your noodles according to the package directions. Drain them and give them a rinse with cold water when they’re done. Start cooking the tofu in the meantime.
Heat some oil in a wok or large skillet, then add diced tofu. Cook the tofu for a few minutes, turning the pieces one or two times. Let them cook until they’re golden brown, then remove them from the wok.
Add some more oil to the wok, turn up the heat, and add broccoli and red bell pepper. Stir-fry the veggies until they soften a bit and intensify in color.
Lower the heat a bit and push the veggies to the side. Add your curry paste and peanut butter, then mix them up and sauté them together for about a minute.
Raise the heat back up and add coconut milk. Stir everything up and bring your coconut milk to a boil.
Add the cooked noodles and tofu to the wok. Stir everything until the ingredients are combined and cook the mixture briefly, until the curry sauce thickens a bit and coats the other ingredients.
Remove the wok from heat, then stir in the lime juice, chopped peanuts, basil, and cilantro. Season the dish with some salt to taste. Your Thai red curry noodles are ready to enjoy!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover Thai curry noodles will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. The noodles will suck up sauce as they sit. If they seem dry, just add some water when you reheat them.
More Noodle Recipes
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Easy Thai Red Curry Noodles
These red curry noodles are the ultimate easy dinner … and they’re absolutely delicious! Made with pan-fried tofu, stir-fried veggies, and a spicy coconut milk sauce, this simple recipe tastes like something from a restaurant, but is actually super simple to throw together. It’s also vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients
-
8
ounces
stir-fry rice noodles -
1
tablespoon
vegetable oil,
divided -
8
ounces
super-firm tofu,
diced (about ½ inch) -
1
small broccoli crown,
broken into florets -
1
medium red bell pepper,
roughly chopped -
3
tablespoons
vegan red curry paste,
or to taste (Note 1) -
2
tablespoons
creamy natural peanut butter -
1
cup
full-fat coconut milk -
2
tablespoons
lime juice -
¼
cup
roasted and salted peanuts,
chopped -
¼
cup
fresh basil,
chopped -
¼
cup
fresh cilantro,
chopped -
Salt,
to taste
Instructions
-
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook them according to the package directions. Drain the noodles into a colander when done, then briefly rinse them with cold water.
-
Coat the bottom of a large wok or skillet with half of the oil and place it over medium heat.
-
Once the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes in a single layer. Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, flipping the pieces one or two times, until they’re golden brown and crispy. Transfer the tofu to a plate.
-
Add the remaining oil to the wok and raise the heat to medium-high. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the broccoli and bell pepper. Stir-fry the vegetables for about two minutes, until they’re tender-crisp and have brightened in color a bit.
-
Lower the heat back to medium. Give the wok a moment to cool down while continuing to stir the vegetables. Push the veggies to the side and add the curry paste and peanut butter to the wok. Sauté the curry paste and peanut butter together for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
-
Raise the heat back up to medium-high, then pour the coconut milk over the vegetables. Quickly mix the vegetables, coconut milk, curry paste, and peanut butter. Bring the liquid to a boil.
-
Add the noodles and cooked tofu to the wok. Stir everything up and continue cooking the mixture for about a minute, just until the sauce thickens a bit and coats the noodles, tofu, and vegetables.
-
Remove the wok from heat. Stir in the lime juice, peanuts, basil, and cilantro. Season the mixture with salt to taste.
Recipe Notes
- Feel free to adjust the amount according to your preference. You can use as little as 2 tablespoons, or as much as 6 tablespoons of curry paste.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Thai Red Curry Noodles
Amount Per Serving
Calories 524
Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 13g65%
Trans Fat 0.02g
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Sodium 206mg9%
Potassium 631mg18%
Carbohydrates 61g20%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 3.265IU0%
Vitamin C 101mg122%
Calcium 105mg11%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
