Serves 4
Active time: 15 minutes
Start to finish: 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 package water-packed extra-firm tofu, pressed, drained, and cubed
• 1 stalk prepared lemongrass (see bottom)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 Thai chillies (jalepeno is a good substitute if you can’t find Thai)
• 1 thumb-size piece of fresh gingerroot, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil (regular fresh basil works well also)
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) sprigs
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 14-ounce cans lite unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 green capsicum, cut into 1/4-inch dice 
• 1 red capsicum, cut into 1/4-inch dice 
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 cup sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup fresh snow pea pods
• 1/2 14-ounce can bamboo shoots (or an entire 8-ounce can), drained
• Cooked brown basmati rice, 1/3 cup per serving   

Press the tofu and drain for at least 20 minutes to release all the excess water.

In the meantime, make your green curry paste. In a food processor or blender, mix the prepared lemongrass, garlic, shallot, chiles, ginger, basil, cilantro, cumin, coriander, white pepper, agave, lime juice, and 1/4 can of the coconut milk. Set aside the remaining coconut milk to use later. Blitz well to make a fragrant green curry paste.

In a large pot, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cubed tofu and vegetables, and continue to sauté for and additional 2-3 minutes. You want the vegetables to remain firm. Pour the remaining coconut milk into the pot. Next stir in the curry paste slowly to get a nice smooth sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Serve the curry in warm bowls atop brown basmati rice.

Helpful Hint: You can find fresh lemongrass in most Asian food and grocery stores. Look in your local grocery store in the specialty produce department. When buying fresh lemongrass, look for stalks that are fragrant and tightly formed. To prepare fresh lemongrass, you want to use the softer, fleshier part of the lemongrass. This is located under the tough outer leaves. Peel away the outer layers with your fingers and discard. Using a sharp knife, cut off the lower bulb about 2 inches from the bottom of the stalk and discard. Now it should be failry easy to cut up the lemongrass. Starting from the lower end (where the bulb was) make thin slices up to two thirds of the stalk. Now place the sliced lemongrass in a food processor and pulse five times. You have just prepared your lemongrass.