Panang Curry Tofu

I happen to be a pretty big fan of Thai food. I love (and I mean love) Thai iced tea. I love Panang curry. In fact, I really enjoy most Thai curries. However, I really don't like leaving the comfort of my home to go out to eat (unless there is some rational behind it). Thus, on Friday night, when my partner and I were all settled in (and it was really cold outside) we decided that we were not going out and that we would, in fact, make Thai food in our own home. Below is the recipe for Panang curry that I had jotted down in my recipe journal long ago and from who knows where:



Ingredients:
1 lb. block of tofu (frozen, thawed, and cut into smallish cubes)
1 teaspoon cumin, turmeric
2 teaspoons tamari/soy sauce
1 cup of onions
1 tablespoon red chili paste (recipe below) (includes: red pepper flakes or red chili peppers, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and peanut sauce/peanut butter)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 clove of minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 lime peel, grated
Juice from 1 lime (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup of water
1 can of coconut milk
1/3 cup of peanut butter
1 carrot, diced

Directions:
After you have cubed your thawed tofu, heat some oil in a frying pan, add cumin seeds, onion, and tamari/soy sauce, and let the tofu fry (flipping it consistently) for a few minutes, until it is nice and crisp on the outside. Set aside the fried tofu and sprinkle it with the turmeric.
To make the red chili paste combine red pepper flakes, or diced red chili peppers, with a dash of rice vinegar and soy/tamari sauce, and a teaspoon of peanut sauce or peanut butter in a blender/food processor and blend for several seconds until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Now, on medium heat, add the garlic and ginger to the pan (with the oil and onion etc. still in it) and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Now add peanut butter, red chili paste and water to the frying pan, stir until the peanut butter has dissolved (a couple of minutes)
Now add the brown sugar, coconut milk, lime juice, lime peel, and carrot. Stir well and let cook about 5 minutes.
Now add the tofu, making sure to cover each piece completely with the sauce. Cover and let cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with rice. Enjoy!