As a California girl, I always have avocados on hand in my kitchen. I eat them solo with salt, on toast, in tacos, even in chocolate mousse—but this time, they’re taking on a whole new form in a Thai curry. Healthy fats like avocado and coconut milk help us absorb nutrients, are vital for brain health and are necessary when building flavor. If you’re intimidated by making your own curry paste, don’t be! All you do is throw a bunch of goodies into a food processor or blender and that's it. This recipe comes together quickly and is a healthy weeknight meal. In a way, this dish is just like California itself: a melting pot of diversity and full of flavor.
Ingredients
Curry paste
- 2 scallions, root ends removed
- ½ medium avocado, peeled
- ¼ yellow onion, chopped
- ¼ packed cup (30 g) fresh cilantro leaves and stems
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, deseeded
- 1 tbsp (10 g) minced fresh ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
Noodles
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- ¼ yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 (14-oz [414-ml]) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) liquid aminos
- 1 14-oz [397-g]) block firm tofu, cut into 1"(2.5-cm) cubes
- 1 (8-oz [227-g]) package brown rice pad Thai noodles
- 1 medium bunch broccolini, destemmed
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice
- 1 large avocado, thickly sliced
- Chopped scallions (optional)
Instructions
- Make your curry paste first. Just toss the scallions, avocado, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, lemon juice, salt and water into your blender or food processor and blend until the ingredients are smooth. Pour the paste into a medium bowl and set it aside.
- Now make the noodles. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, combine the oil, onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook the onion for about 1 minute, until it starts to soften. Add the bell pepper and cook the vegetables for 1 minute. Add the curry paste and cook the mixture for 1 minute. Add the milk, liquid aminos and tofu. Cover the pan, turn down the heat to low and cook the curry for about 5 minutes. While this cooks, get some water boiling and cook your noodles according to the package’s instructions.
- Your curry should be bubbling and cooking beautifully at this point.Add your broccolini, coconut aminos, lime juice and avocado. Cover The pan and cook the curry for 5 more minutes, until the broccolini is tender and bright green. Taste the curry for spiciness and saltiness, adjusting the spiciness and adding the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt if needed.
- Serve the curry in four bowls: Add the noodles to the bowls, then place the curry sauce and veggies over the top of the noodles. Garnish thecurry with the scallions (if using).
BAI’S TIP: Like soup, curries tend to build flavor over time. Make the paste ahead of time, make this recipe on a meal-prep day or, at the very least, save some leftovers so you can see how the flavor develops as the curry sits for a day!