My Green Bean and Tofu Curry has all the flavours of your favourite Indian takeaway but it's vegan! Get the recipe below.
If you love going out for a curry you're going to love my Green Bean and Tofu Curry. It's a plant based curry dish that tastes just like it comes from your local curry house.
The star of this curry is the freshly blended paste. Made with ginger, garlic, chilli, spices, and fresh coriander stems, it all works together to create an aromatic base for the curry.
The addition of tender tofu cubes gives it plenty of protein, while green beans bring a fresh crunch to balance the creaminess of the sauce.
Whether you’re making this for a weeknight dinner or a cozy weekend meal, it’s a recipe that will quickly become a staple in your kitchen.
This curry is perfect served with your favourite chutneys and pickles, fluffy basmati rice, naan breads or my lentil pancakes.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Recipes like this require a lot of ingredients but its worth all of the effort for the layers of flavour in the final dish.
For the curry paste you'll need:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Root ginger
- Red chilli
- Ground turmeric
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Garam masala
- Chilli powder
- Lemon juice
- Fresh coriander
- Sea salt
For the rest of the curry you'll need:
- Tofu
- Green beans
- Cardamom pods
- Tomato puree
- Tinned tomatoes
- Vegan plain yogurt
Step-by-step Instructions
- Step 1: make the curry paste by blitzing the curry paste ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.
- Step 2: Add a little oil to a frying pan and begin to fry the onion until translucent.
- Step 3: Add the tofu then cook for 5 - 10 minutes or until the tofu starts to get golden brown
- Step 4: Add the green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Step 5: Next add the curry paste to the pan and cook for 2 - 3 minutes to release the aromas.
- Step 6: Pour in the tinned tomatoes and tomato paste along with the cardamom pod and let simmer until the green beans are tender.
- Step 7: Remove the cardamom pods and stir through the vegan plain yogurt. Bring to a simmer again.
- Step 8: Serve with a scattering of fresh coriander leaves.
Hint: if the curry paste begins to catch on the pan while frying then add a splash of water.
Substitutions
Don't have the exact ingredients listed in the recipe? Don't worry, you can use some of the following substitutions:
- Switch tofu for tempeh as an alternative protein source
- Swap the green beans with asparagus for a different vegetable
- Replace the vegan yogurt with coconut cream for a fragrant creamy addition
Variations
Make this dish your own by trying some of these variations:
- Make it extra spicy by upping the number of fresh chillis used in the curry paste
- Add chickpeas for extra protein
- Stir through mango chutney for a fruity twist
Equipment
The main piece of equipment you'll need for this recipe is a high speed blender or food processor to make the curry paste.
You'll also need a chopping board, knife, frying pan and spatula.
Storage
This recipe can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen:
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm gently on the hob with a splash of water or extra yogurt to refresh the sauce.
Top tip
For the best flavor, make the curry paste a day in advance and let it rest in the fridge. The spices deepen and create an even more aromatic curry when cooked.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Add them directly to the sauce without thawing and then cook until piping hot.
Extra firm tofu holds its shape best so I'd recommend using it over regular tofu or silken tofu.
The recipe
Vegan Green Bean and Tofu Curry
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 high speed blender or food processor
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
For the curry paste:
- 0.5 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 inch root ginger
- 1 red chilli
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
- 0.5 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 lemon juice only
- 1 bunch fresh coriander use the stalks for the curry paste and keep the leaves for later
- 1 pinch salt
For the curry:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 0.5 onion
- 200 g extra firm tofu
- 120 g green beans
- 1 tomato puree
- 400 g tinned tomatoes
- 2 cardamom pods
- 4 tablespoon vegan plain yogurt
Instructions
To Make the Curry Paste:
- Place all the curry paste ingredients in a high speed blender and whizz until you have a smooth, thick paste then place to one side.
To Make the Curry:
- Place a large, open saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the onion and fry until translucent.
- Add the tofu to the pan and cook for 5 - 8 minutes until they are golden brown and starting to crisp around the edges.
- Next add the green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the curry paste and cook for 2- 3 minutes to release the aromas.
- Stir in the tomato puree, tinned tomatoes and cardamom pods then simmer until the green beans are tender.
- Reduce to a low heat, remove the cardamom pods and stir in the yogurt before bringing back up to a simmer.
- Serve with the fresh coriander leaves.
Leave a Reply