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Coconut Curried Tofu with Green Jasmine Rice

A coconut curry tofu served over jasmine rice.

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Why it works: Ginger and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Coconut Curried Tofu with Green Jasmine Rice

Timeabout 18 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Toast and cook the rice

  1. Stir shredded coconut in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat until light golden, about 5 minutes, then transfer the coconut to a bowl.

  2. Bring 1 3/4 cups water and salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Stir in rice and bring to a boil.

  3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 18 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, puree cilantro, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 teaspoon ginger, lime juice, and half of garlic in a blender.

  5. Mix the puree and coconut into the rice. Set aside.

Make the tofu curry

  1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat.

  2. Add tofu and stir-fry until golden, about 6 minutes.

  3. Add onions, curry, cumin, red pepper, remaining ginger, and remaining garlic, then stir-fry 1 minute.

  4. Stir in tomatoes and remaining coconut milk.

  5. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve

  1. Divide rice among 4 plates.

  2. Top with tofu mixture.

  3. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1041Calories
28 gProtein
62 gFat
107 gCarbs

Counts 16 of 18 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 16 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Coconut1/2 cup shredded (40g)283
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Peanut1 oz (28g)161
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Cherry1 cup (138g)87
Tofu100g firm76
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Limejuice of 1 lime (44ml)11
Turmeric1 tsp ground (3g)9
Cumin1 tsp ground (2.1g)8
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Cilantro1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0
Jasminenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Ginger + clovetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together6,038 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  2. Ginger + limetop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,621 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  3. Coconut + limetop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together934 recipes

    Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

  4. Coconut + gingertop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,168 recipes

    Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

  5. Ginger + garlictop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together6,402 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Extra-firm tofu
Provides the main body and protein; frying it golden adds browning and a firmer texture.
Jasmine or basmati rice
Starch absorbs the water and turns tender, forming the base that soaks up the sauce.
Light coconut milk
Adds richness and creaminess that carries the curry spices.
Fresh ginger
Adds a sharp, warm aroma that balances the rich coconut milk.
Fresh lime juice
Adds acidity that brightens the coconut and spice flavours.

The step that matters

Drying and frying the tofu. Tofu must be patted dry and fried in hot oil over high heat. Surface moisture would steam the cubes instead of browning them, leaving them soft and pale.

Swap the garlic

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (coconut, jasmine, milk, ginger, lime, clove, tofu):

  1. Cinnamonfits better
  2. Cardamomfits better
  3. Turmericfits better
  4. Garlicthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against coconut, jasmine, milk, ginger, lime, clove, tofu. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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