Peanut Butter and Lemongrass Curry

Peanut Butter and Lemongrass Curry

This one has become a proper staple in our kitchens. Peanut butter and lemongrass sounds like an unusual combo but trust us, it works so well together. Creamy, fragrant, with a gentle heat that just builds as you eat, the sauce is rich and silky. The lemongrass brings this fresh citrusy lift that stops it feeling heavy, and the whole thing comes together in 25 minutes on a weeknight. It's the kind of curry that makes you want to scrape the pan clean with a spoon. Make it tonight, seriously.

Cook: 25 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • High speed blender
  • Large frying pan
  • Large pan
  • Rolling pin

Ingredients

  • 3 long shallots
  • 30g fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 red chillis
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 x 400g can of coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 ½ tbsp lemongrass paste
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 280g block of firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 225g green beans
  • lime juice
  • fresh coriander
  • basmati rice
  • flatbreads
  • peanuts

Method

1

For the peanut curry sauce

  • Peel and roughly chop the shallots
  • Peel and grate the ginger and garlic
  • Roughly chop the red chillis
  • Peel and roughly chop the carrots
  • To prepare the lemongrass paste, slice off the very bottom of the stalk and peel off any dried outer layers. Then bash with a rolling pin to release the aromatic flavour. Set aside for later
2

Prepare the curry sauce

  • Heat the coconut oil In a large pan over medium to low heat. Once hot, add the shallots, ginger, garlic, chilli and carrots and saute for 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a high speed blender with the coconut milk, 150ml of water, peanut butter, lemongrass paste, soy sauce and maple syrup. Whizz until you have a smooth sauce. Set aside for later
3

For the crispy tofu

  • Cut the tofu into into bite sized pieces
  • Melt the coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot, fry the tofu for 8-10 minutes, turning them so that each side is golden brown and crispy
  • Pour the curry sauce over the tofu. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the green beans for the last three minutes, and allow them to cook in the heat of the sauce
4

Finish the curry and serve

  • Squeeze the lime juice into the curry
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lime juice, soy sauce and maple syrup as desired
  • Spoon the curry between bowls, garnish with peanuts, coriander and serve with rice or flatbreads

Tips & Variations

  • Add extra veg: We love throwing in a handful of spinach or some tenderstem broccoli in the last few minutes. It wilts down beautifully and bulks the whole thing out.
  • Adjust the heat: If you want it milder, just deseed the red chillies before chopping. If you want it hotter, leave the seeds in or add a little chilli flakes at the end.
  • Make it your own: Ian often swaps in tofu or chickpeas for extra protein and it works brilliantly. Just crisp the tofu up in a separate pan first so it keeps its texture in the sauce.

Why This Works

The trick here is bashing the lemongrass before it goes in. It sounds fussy but it takes about ten seconds and it genuinely releases so much more flavour than just chopping it. The other thing is the peanut butter going in at the end rather than the start, so it keeps that nutty richness without going bitter. That combination is what makes this sauce taste like it took way longer than it did.