This recipe was inspired by an amazing dish at my favorite restaurant in Portland, ME, Cong Tu Bot. It is a delicious curry noodle, a flavor explosion of curry, lemongrass, and lime. Saucy and not too spicy, it is a wonderful winter meal, loaded with veggies and plant-based protein, that will warm your soul. I will fully admit that Cong Tu Bot’s Vietnamese curry noodles are a step above, but this recipe is an easy weeknight dinner and mighty delicious. Next time you’re in Portland, be sure to stop by Cong Tu Bot and try them for yourself!

A Note on Tricky to Find Ingredients

Lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves are sometimes difficult to find. I know lemongrass is near impossible to get here in Freeport, ME, in the winter months. I do have to drive to the Whole Foods in Portland to pick some up. The good news is it lasts for quite a while in the fridge, so I usually get enough to make this dish twice. Or at least I try to make it twice, but lemongrass is so delicious, we end up using it up in other ways. As for kaffir lime leaves—I ordered them from Amazon, otherwise I would probably need to go to a specialty market to find them. This bag of kaffir lime leaves from Amazon will probably last me a year or more. One and done. Source these tricky items now so you’re ready to make this during the week.

Traditionally in this recipe, you would use fish sauce. If you have fish sauce, either the real deal or vegan, you can use 1 tablespoon of fish sauce in place of the molasses and rice vinegar. Vegan fish sauce tends to be very pricy so I usually opt to sub with this simple molasses and vinegar combo.

Did I mention my kids even loved this dish on the first time we made it? Sometimes it takes a couple of rounds of trying something for them to warm up to it. Not these saucy curry noodles, they slurped them right up! This has definitely become one of our go-to weeknight favorites.

Health Benefits of Curry

The main ingredient in curry powder is turmeric, it gives curry powder the lovely golden yellow color. Turmeric is a super spice—it’s loaded with anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, it’s good for your heart, and may have anticancer effects. Pretty incredible little root! An added bonus, it tastes delicious! Eating foods with powdered or fresh turmeric is the best way to get the benefits from this bold spice. In fact, according to Healthline you don’t need to consume turmeric daily to reap its benefits “a study in over 100,000 people found that those who consumed curry-powder-based dishes 2–3 times per month to once a week had significantly lower triglyceride levels compared with people who consumed curry less than once a month”. Curry 2-3 times per month to see health benefits? I can definitely get on board with that!

Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients; this dish comes together very quickly and is amazingly flavorful!

Saucy Curry Noodles

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Delicious plant-based recipe for tasty saucy curry noodles with air-fried tofu, carrots, broccolini, pickles, and bean sprouts. Yum!

• Author: Erica
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
• Category: Plant based
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Vietnamese
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 14oz package of tofu, cut into long strips
• 2 tablespoons of neutral oil, like grapeseed
• 2 large kaffir lime leaves
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 8 inch lemongrass stalk, chopped (tender interiors only)
• 3 shallots minced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons of curry powder
• Broccolini
• Carrots
• 2 15oz cans of coconut milk
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/2 tablespoon molasses
• 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 14oz stir fry rice noodles

Toppings

• Bean sprouts
• Fresh cilantro
• Jalapeño slices
• Crispy shallots
• Homemade pickles
• Pickled red onions

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Instructions

1. First, cook the tofu in the air-fryer. Set the temperature to 400° and cook for around 11 minutes. No need for oil or any seasoning. Just toss those tofu strips on in the air-fryer and let them fry.
2. While the tofu is cooking, add the neutral oil to a large skillet. I like to use a deep 13″ cast-iron fry pan. Turn the heat up to high.
3. Once the pan is warm, add the kaffir lime leaves, jalapeño, lemongrass, shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and curry powder. This is your aromatic curry base. Cook for two minutes on high, stirring regularly with a spatula to avoid burning.
4. Next, add all the veggies to the skillet. Continue to cook on high for 5 more minutes, wok style, stirring regularly to avoid burning.
5. Add the coconut milk, lime zest, lime juice, maple syrup, molasses, and rice vinegar to the skillet. Stir to combine all the ingredients. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. While the skillet is simmering, in a separate pot, cook the noodles per the manufacturer’s instructions. Once they are cooked, rinse them thoroughly with cold water. This cold rinse step is hugely important, so you don’t end up with soggy noodles. Once the noodles are rinsed, add them to the skillet of veggies.
7. Add the air-fried tofu to the skillet and give everything a good saucy toss.
8. Serve in a bowl ;with your favorite toppings. We like crispy shallots, jalapeño slices, homemade pickles, fresh cilantro, and lots of bean sprouts. Don’t skip the homemade pickles, they really make the dish pop. Yum!

Notes

Warning, this is a family-sized portion that feeds my two large appetite boys, and we have leftovers! If making this for 2 people cut the ingredients in half.