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Thai Coconut Buddha Bowls! The best thai tofu with black rice, edamame, carrots, vegetables and a peanut-thai sauce!
Ever since creating these Peanut Tofu Buddha Bowls earlier in the year, I’ve fallen hard for the buddha bowl. And really, who wouldn’t? Grain + roasted veggies + perfectly cooked tofu + in the best sauce. It’s a vegetarian dream come true.
The best part of these Thai Coconut bowls is the sauce. We all know I’m a sucker for sauces and will eat just about anything covered in a creamy, silky sauce. Once you make this bowl, try the sauce drizzled over steamed veggies, soba noodles and more.
This tofu. Please try it. Please try it. I debuted this technique back in January and those who have tried it, can’t stop raving about the crispy, faux-fried texture. It’s foolproof in creating delicious chunks of tofu that aren’t drenched in oil.
Once the tofu is baked until almost dry, marinade in the coconut sauce then lightly saute until hot and crispy. Trust me, it’s difficult to not eat the entire batch straight out of the skillet. The good news is that this way of cooking tofu works with just about any sauce or marinade, making the buddha bowl possibilities almost endless.
To make these bowls come together rather effortlessly, make all of the ingredients and then store them separately for easy assemble come lunch time. I’ve been doing a version of this for the past few weeks and it’s a lifesaver when I realize that it’s suddenly 2PM and I’m starving. Five minutes later, I’m happily chowing down on one of these big bowls.
I used forbidden rice in these bowls because I love the shocking color contrast, but any rice or noodles will do. For a grain-free bowl, try this combo over steamed or raw spinach. Either way, you are going to love these Thai Coconut Buddha Bowls! If you make it, let me know. Tag #delishknowledge on social media so I can see your creations. I love seeing what you come up with!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
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Thai Coconut Buddha Bowls
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 bowls 1x
Description
Thai Coconut Buddha Bowls! The best thai tofu with black rice, edamame, carrots, vegetables and a peanut-thai sauce! Vegan and Gluten-Free.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 bowls 1x
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 bowls 1x
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 cup black rice or [url:1]forbidden rice[/url]
- 16 ounce package firm tofu, pressed and drained, then diced
- 1 cup Edamame, thawed from frozen
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1 Red pepper, diced
Thai Coconut Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 garlic clove, minced
- 1–2 teaspoons red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (low-sodium if preferred)
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 cup light coconut milk
Instructions
- Place the rice and 2 cups water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. While the onion is preheating, dice the tofu, slice the carrots and dice the peppers.
- Place the tofu in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Flip, then cook for 5-7 more minutes until golden brown on top.
- Place the carrots in a single layer on a separate baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes until tender. (I used my non-stick baking stones so I didn’t have to add any oil, but you can spray the pan or toss carrots with a pinch of oil if you don’t have non-stick baking sheets). Remove from oven.
- While the tofu is cooking, heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook, stirring often, about 30 seconds, taking care not to burn. Add the red curry paste, and stir for 30 seconds more. Whisk in the lime juice, soy sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, chili powder, cayenne pepper, sesame oil, and coconut milk then bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the tofu from the oven and place in a bowl with 1/2 of the sauce to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
- Remove the remaining sauce from the pan and set aside. Wipe out the pan, return to medium heat and add the tofu along with the marinating sauce. Cook, stirring often until all the sauce is reduced and tofu is crispy.
- Divide the rice among 4 bowls along with the edamame, red pepper and carrots. Top with tofu, then drizzle with remaining sauce.
did you make this?
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(8 comments) leave a comment
I tried to preheat the onion….. 😉
★★★★
haha! Thanks- i’ll fix it now 🙂
Hi, I’m working on this for dinner right now, and I have a few questions. 1. I’m assuming I press the tofu. 2. Do I add the lime juice with the red curry paste or the rest of the ingredients? 3. Does the red pepper get cooked or did you have it raw? 4. The frozen edamame in my market is from China — I try to buy American or at least in the American hemisphere. How would you handle that? Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Karen, yes to pressing the tofu. The soy sauce and the lime juice should be added with the rest of the ingredients, I’m updating that now! I enjoyed the red pepper raw for extra crunch, but you could add it to the carrots if you prefer it roasted. If you don’t want the edamame, you can leave it out or add in some steamed broccoli florets instead!
Hi, I’m working on this for dinner right now, and I have a few questions. 1. I’m assuming I press the tofu. 2. Do I add the lime juice with the red curry paste or the rest of the ingredients? 3. Does the red pepper get cooked or did you have it raw? 4. The frozen edamame in my market is from China — I try to buy American or at least in the American hemisphere. How would you handle that? Thanks for the inspiration!
Yum!! Buddha bowls are just such a genius meal! They never fail to please!