Massaman Curry with Tofu (Slow Cooker)

I’ve always loved Massaman curry, although I usually get it with beef when I eat at a Thai restaurant. This vegan version is just as tasty. The first time I made this recipe, I was shocked and how truly delicious it was! It was like Thai takeout out of the crockpot.

This recipe offers an opportunity to explore Thai-specific ingredients, but it will still be delicious even if you can’t get them all. If you’re able to visit an Asian grocery store, you should be able to find what you need. However, that can be difficult in the midst of a pandemic, so substitute as needed. I can find Chaokoh coconut milk and Maesri curry paste at my Wegmans.

If you are hitting up an Asian grocery store, here’s what to look for:

• Thin soy sauce – this is completely different from standard soy sauce and should not be confused for low sodium soy sauce. If you can, get the Thai stuff! I use Healthy Boy brand. Unfortunately, this means it won’t be completely gluten free, so feel free to substitute.
• Palm sugar – Palm sugar can be found in various size round discs. If you can, pick a package that has 100% pure palm sugar for the ingredients. Unfortunately, this may be a lie, so go with a more expensive one. This video has great information on selecting a good palm sugar and using it. She recommends substituting light brown sugar, maple syrup, or plain white sugar in the case of a curry. Granulated coconut palm sugar (as I’ve used in other recipes) is not recommended here because it’s too dark.
• Massaman curry paste – I use Maesri brand.
• Coconut milk – get the good Thai stuff, full fat! I use Chaokoh brand.

The first thing you need to do is prepare the palm sugar. Take 3 small rounds and place them in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with cold water and set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and dice the sweet potatoes, and add them along with the vegetable stock and curry paste to the slow cooker.

After 10 minutes, you should see some pits in the surface of the palm sugar. Drain the water. Add 2 tsp of fresh, cold water and microwave for 1-2 minutes, until it melts. Pour the hot, melted palm sugar into the slow cooker.

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The first time I saw the recipe this is based on, it said “4 Tbsp palm sugar.” This left me scratching my head as I unsuccessfully tried to grate a disc of palm sugar to measure it. After some Googling, I finally solved the mystery. Here’s a YouTube demo on melting palm sugar.

If you watched the other video I linked, you’ll see there are other methods as well: cutting it, grating it, mortar and pestle, or microwaving. You can do whatever works for you with the type of palm sugar you’ve got.

Once you’ve got everything in the cooker, set to cook on high for three hours, until the potatoes are cooked.

If you like, you can fry the tofu. I used to, but honestly, it’s a lot of effort, so I don’t usually bother, since it can add another 20-30 minutes to the process. If you want to fry it, press the tofu dry with a LOT of paper towels and cut into cubes. Saute in canola oil until all sides are golden. Otherwise, simply press some moisture out and then cut into cubes.

Add the tofu (fried or not) to the cooker along with coconut milk and peanuts. Stir and let it heat through on low for 15 minutes.

Because tofu absorbs flavors over time, this dish becomes even better on a second day, so you may want to prepare it the night before. You can split this 5 ways for a weekday meal prep, or into 4-6 servings for a main course.

This recipe was inspired by the Thai Slow Cooker Cookbook. (Bookshop)