Udon Curry with Tofu, Bok Choy and Corn
When I've got little time but lots of hunger in the evening, I keep coming back to dishes with Asian noodles – especially udon noodles, which are done in no time. We've already got a few of these recipes on the blog: quick stir-fried noodles with vegetables, tofu and peanut sauce, quick one pot udon noodles with gingered veggies and tofu, hot oil udon noodles with crispy crumbled tofu, and especially in summer I love Cold Sesame Udon Noodles with Spicy Soy Mince. Today I'm adding a recipe that's ready in under 30 minutes and where you can really vary things, because I've already eaten it with the most different sauces and toppings.
Which curry and seasoning pastes work for this recipe
You can basically adapt the recipe completely to your taste. The basics are udon noodles that end up in a bowl with pan-fried tofu and bok choy, then get drizzled with a sauce of your choice. For that, you simply mix coconut milk with a curry or seasoning paste that you happen to have at home. Here are a few options I've already tried:
- Japanese curry paste: At Asian markets, you'll find the well-known Golden Curry cubes in all spice levels. They're used for the classic Curry Udon, which influenced this recipe here and is a combination of an udon soup and a Japanese curry.
- Red, yellow, and green Thai curry paste: You can get them at Asian markets, but they should also be available in almost every well-stocked supermarket by now. Yellow curry paste is the mildest, red curry paste is medium-hot, and green curry paste is actually the hottest.
- Massaman curry paste: A rather mild, slightly sweet Thai curry paste with warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom. Perfect if you like it a bit less spicy but still aromatic. You can also get this at Asian markets.
- Miso paste: Isn't a curry paste but a fermented seasoning paste, but I really like using it for this recipe too. It brings more of a savory umami flavor and creates a completely different but also very delicious direction – perfect if you don't feel like spice.
Delicious topping options
In the recipe, I've gone for a combination of smoked tofu, canned corn, bok choy, scallions, garlic, and ginger, which all get pan-fried together first. For serving, chili crunch, sesame seeds, cilantro, and lime juice come on top.
But you can get creative here too and adapt the topping as you like. Pan-fried mushrooms, edamame, roasted peanuts or cashews, also pan-fried eggplant, fresh cucumber, or bean sprouts would work great.
One last little "secret tip"
I basically always have dried mushrooms at home that need to be soaked beforehand. Now and then I forget the soaking though and then switch to plan B and just grate them, similar to a nutmeg. The grated mushrooms are optional but add extra flavor and a little umami kick.
Udon Curry with Tofu, Bok Choi, and Corn
Ingredients
For pan-frying:
- 200 g (7 oz) smoked tofu
- 1-2 bok choy
- 2 scallions
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 10 g (0.33 oz) ginger
- 200 g (7 oz) canned corn
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp agave syrup
- 2-3 dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
- salt
- pepper
- peanut oil for frying
Also:
- 1-2 tbsp curry paste
- 400 ml (1.66 cups) coconut milk
- 21 oz (600 g) pre-cooked udon noodles
- water (optional)
For serving:
- chili crunch
- sesame seeds
- fresh cilantro
- lime
Instructions
First, prep and cut all ingredients: coarsely grate smoked tofu. Cut bok choy and scallions into fine rings and strips and separate the green part from the white part. Grate garlic and ginger and drain canned corn.
Heat peanut oil in a frying pan and first pan-fry canned corn until crispy. Then remove, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Heat some more oil in the pan and then pan-fry smoked tofu well until nicely browned. Add soy sauce and agave syrup and pan-fry for another 2–3 minutes. Then add the white part of scallions and bok choy, grated garlic and ginger, and pan-fry for another 5 minutes. Finely grate dried mushrooms and add.
Meanwhile, mix curry paste and coconut milk in a pot and bring to a boil. Let udon noodles soak either briefly in hot water or directly in the simmering sauce. In the latter case, add some water if needed until the sauce has reached the desired consistency.
To serve, add udon noodles together with pan-fried ingredients from the pan to a bowl and pour sauce over them. Top with the green part of bok choy, scallions, and if desired chili crunch, sesame seeds, cilantro, and lime juice.
