Creamy peanut butter adds a rich flavor and thick texture to this delicious veggie curry. Topped with an extra drizzle of peanut butter and crispy tofu, this simple peanut butter curry is a crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner.
I love making different curry dishes, because they pack a ton of flavor and nutrients. I often alternate between making a sweeter Japanese-style curry and a slightly spicier Thai-style curry at least once a month.
This flavorful peanut butter curry uses Thai red curry paste, but it deviates pretty far from traditional Thai curry dishes. More traditional Thai curries incorporate rich seasonings like kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce and lemongrass. If you have these items on hand, feel free to add them into this curry for extra flavor!
Peanut butter adds a rich, creamy texture that helps thicken the curry. And it adds just enough salt to balance all the other flavors of the curry paste, coconut milk, and vegetables.
And if you're looking for more easy curry recipes for dinner, try my eggplant and chickpea curry!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Peanut Butter Curry
- Olive oil - serves as the cooking oil for the vegetables; you can substitute any cooking oil like coconut oil or vegetable oil
- Onion - I recommend using a yellow or sweet onion, but you can also use a white or red onion
- Garlic - adds a pungent kick of garlic flavor; you can substitute garlic powder if you don't have fresh garlic
- Ginger - adds a bright kick of ginger flavor; you can substitute ground ginger powder if you don't have fresh ginger
- Thai red curry paste
- Zucchini
- Carrots
- Bell peppers - a mix of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers add the best flavor to this curry
- Sweet potatoes - adds a sweet flavor to balance the salty peanut butter; you can substitute Yukon Gold, Russet or Red Potatoes for less sweetness
- Coconut milk - use full fat coconut milk for a richer flavor and thicker texture; light coconut milk also works well in this recipe
- Peanut butter - you can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter; I love using Wild Friends Classic Creamy Peanut Butter
- Cilantro - optional topping
Crispy Baked Tofu
- Extra firm tofu - don't use soft or firm tofu, as it won't have the right texture that extra firm tofu provides
- Olive oil - helps the tofu crisp up in the oven; you can substitute any cooking oil including melted coconut oil or vegetable oil
- Soy sauce - adds a salty flavor; you can substitute Bragg's liquid aminos
- Cornstarch - makes the tofu become crispy on the outside as it bakes; you can substitute potato starch
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Save Time: If you are making the crispy tofu, save time by preparing all the vegetables for the curry while the tofu block drains.
- Curry Paste: Substitute the red curry paste with green or yellow curry paste for a different flavor.
- Nut Butters: Substitute the peanut butter with almond butter or any type of nut butter. I also love using almond butter and cashew butter.
- Spicy: The red curry paste adds a tiny bit of spice, but it's not that strong. If you want to add spice, you can top it with cayenne pepper, sriracha or chili paste.
Storing
Fridge: Store leftover peanut butter curry in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Store it in airtight containers or freezer safe bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The Best Peanut Butter
I personally love adding Wild Friends classic creamy natural peanut butter. The ingredients contain just peanuts and salt. That's it! Just pure delicious natural peanut buttery goodness. 🙂
More Easy Weeknight Meals
Easy Peanut Butter Curry
Ingredients
Crispy Baked Tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Peanut Butter Curry
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 can coconut milk (about 13.5 ounces)
- 2 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- cilantro, for topping (optional)
Instructions
Bake the Crispy Tofu
- Rinse the block of tofu in cold water, then wrap it in a clean kitchen towel. Set something heavy on top like a pan, and let it drain for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Dice the tofu into bite-sized pieces. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the tofu with one tablespoon of the olive oil, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Spread out the tofu on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes, until it is tofu crispy and golden brown.
Make the Peanut Butter Curry
- While the tofu is baking, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the diced onion and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the minced garlic, minced ginger and red curry paste. Cook for another 3 minutes, until it is smelling very fragrant.
- Add the zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, coconut milk and peanut butter. Stir everything until all the veggies are coated in the peanut butter and coconut milk.
- Cover with a lid and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the sweet potato is easily pierced with a fork.
- Serve the curry with rice, topped with the crispy baked tofu. Drizzle a little extra peanut butter on top, along with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!!
Notes
- To save time, prepare all the vegetables for the curry while the tofu block drains to save on time.
- Don't skip draining the tofu - this helps it to become crispy on the outside as it bakes.
- Store cooled leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Markus + Micah
Served peanut butter curry to Markus' friends who visited us over the weekend actually, very similar to your version. It is really cool because as you mentioned, it is super versatile, a whatever-is-left in the fridge kind of thing.
strawberryandcream
Exactly! Those are some of my favorite types of recipes! It helps clean out the fridge and prevent good food from being tossed in the trash. I'm sure all of Markus' friends loved your curry too! 🥰
The Dragon's Picnic
Intriguing combination - sounds delicious!
strawberryandcream
Thank you so much! Let me know if you get to try this recipe 🙂