Creamy Veg Curry with Crispy Tofu and Sesame Noodles

This Thai curry with noodles is the perfect healthy-ish weeknight comfort food. Faster than take-out and packed with healthy vegetables.

If you get my monthly newsletter (if not, sign up here!) or follow me on Instagram, you already know this March is the month of new favorites. With spring just around the corner, I’m feeling a burst of renewed energy and inspiration, and my mind is just racing with new ideas.

I’m dedicating the coming weeks to updated versions of classic recipes, as well as new-to-me dishes I’ve recently fallen in love with. I can’t wait to share them all with you – starting with these creamy curry noodles with veggies and crispy tofu.

If you’ve been here for a while, you know I’m a big fan of curries and a big fan of noodles. But somehow, I never thought to put the two together.

Until a few weeks ago, that is, when I was pondering about what to make for dinner and couldn’t decide between creamy tomato pasta and veg curry. I wanted both, so I combined them and boom, a new favorite was born.

The dish consists of lightly cooked veg – zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli – in a creamy, spicy coconut broth, along with crispy tofu, served over slippery sesame noodles. The contrast between the nutty noodles, chewy tofu, crunchy veg, and the rich sauce is just so satisfying and fun to eat. Healthy-ish comfort food at its finest.

Now I know Thai curry with noodles isn’t exactly an earth-shattering idea, since you can get a curry noodle soup at almost any Thai takeout place. What does make this concept new-ish (to me, anyway) is that this curry acts more like a ragu on spaghetti – in that you put the sauce on the noodles, instead of cooking them in the soup.

It’s also different in that veggie curries are typically served with plain rice – here, sesame noodles take things to the next level.

How to Make This Thai Curry with Noodles

The tofu, curry, and noodles are all cooked separately. Don’t let this deter you – it’s all very simple and relatively fast.

You start by pressing the tofu (as always), cutting it into small cubes, and frying them til they form a golden brown crust. While the tofu’s going, you can bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles and start the curry.

The curry begins by briefly sauteing the vegetables. The goal is to get them lightly browned while retaining their bright color and crunch. Remember, this is not a soup and you don’t want to cook these vegetables to death.

Then you add a couple of aromatics (Thai curry paste being the star) and simmer everything with coconut milk for just a couple of minutes. Again, do not overcook the vegetables.

Lastly, you stir the crispy tofu into the curry and serve it over noodles.

I like to cook the tofu and curry in separate vessels so I can do it simultaneously and save time. But, if you prefer to wash less dishes, do these steps in the same pot; fry the tofu first, take it out, then cook the curry.

Variations

Feel free to mix-and-match the vegetables here. Aside from those listed below, you can toss in some mushrooms, shallots, green beans, and even Brussels sprouts. If you want to use greens (spinach, kale, or collard greens), add them in step 6.

Fresh ramen (found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket, or in Asian markets) is the perfect noodle for this sauce. But, you can also use what you already have – be it rice noodles, udon, bucatini, or plain ol’ spaghetti. (The chewier the noodle, the better.)

More comfort food this way…

• Creamy Miso Polenta with Mushroom Ragù
• Peanut Miso Noodles with Mushrooms
• Cauliflower Rice Curry with Sweet Potatoes
• Tempeh Bolognese

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