Thai · main

Vegetable Massaman Curry with Tofu

Vegetable Massaman Curry with Tofu reads umami 5.5, richness 4.7 and citrus 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai main, about 53 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.3 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.9 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.5 · Richness 4.7 · Citrus 4.7 · Sourness 4.6 · Salinity 4.6 · Nutty 4.1 · Sweetness 3.9 · Allium 3.4 · Warm Spice 3.2 · Funk & Ferment 2.3 · Floral 1.9 · Earthy 1.8 · Fruity 1.4 · Heat 1.2 · Herbaceous 1.1 · Bitterness 1.0

What's in it (16)

• extra-firm tofu — 397 g
• vegetable oil — 27 g
• curry paste — 44 g
• chunky peanut butter — 14 g
• cinnamon — 5 g
• cardamom — 3 g
• coconut milk — 383 g
• vegetable broth — 237 g
• yellow new potatoes — 454 g
• carrots — 120 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• spanish style peanuts — 44 g
• brown sugar — 25 g
• lime juice — 30 g
• soy sauce — 30 g
• salt — 5 g

Time & effort: about 53 min (51 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 110.7 kcal, 3.8 g protein, 7.8 g fat, 8.5 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Press the tofu between paper towels under a heavy pan for 15 minutes to remove excess water, then cut into 1-inch cubes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in a single layer and pan-fry, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp on most sides, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot over medium heat. Add the red curry paste, peanut butter, cinnamon, and cardamom; cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens slightly and smells deeply toasted, about 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot; whisk until the curry paste is fully dissolved and the liquid is smooth.
5. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife, 18-20 minutes.
6. Stir in the crisped tofu, chopped peanuts, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, 5-7 minutes.
7. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Season with the kosher salt and more to taste.
8. Ladle the curry into bowls and finish with a scattering of extra chopped peanuts.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry with Chickpeas — Thai
• Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles with Tofu — Thai
• Brown Butter Sage Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash — Italian
• Thai Peanut Chicken Noodles — Thai
• Grilled Beef Short Rib Galbi — Korean

Keep reading: what umami, richness, citrus mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.