Spicy Thai Tofu and Green Beans

This is a very close approximation of pad prik king (pad prig king... however you wanna spell it...) which is a dish that I love.  When Jeremy and I go to the Thai restaurants around us, it's a safe bet that this dish is at least on my short list of things I'll order.  I'd never made it before but I found a lot of delicious recipes on Thai Table.  I adapted their Green Beans and Shrimp to make my recipe.  (The pad prik king I get when we go out has kaffir lime leaves in it.  I didn't have any so I used actual lime for a little citrus flavor.  Not quite the same, but delicious!)

As I posted last time I blogged about tofu,  I dry fried the cut up tofu pieces to get a nice crispy exterior.  This time I bought lite tofu with fewer calories and fat than regular tofu.  It was delicious!  The tofu was pressed in the fridge all afternoon to squeeze out some extra water (thanks Jeremy!).

If you want this more mild, take out the crushed red pepper flake.  It wasn't overly spicy -- just the right amount.  You could use chicken, shrimp, beef, etc. in place of the tofu in this recipe.  Just add the tofu with the green beans and adjust cooking times as necessary.  It would be delicious.

I served this with some brown rice.  We don't have any leftovers of this dish (sadness!).  I'm sure I'll be making this again in the not too distant future.  Enjoy!

Recipe:
1 package firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 c. fresh green beans, sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 tbs. red curry paste
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
2 tsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. sugar
1/3 c. water
1 tbs. vegetable oil
zest and juice of 1/2 lime

1. Heat a non-stick griddle over medium heat.  Place the tofu on the griddle and press down with a spatula.  (It will hiss and spit a little... but you want to get rid of the extra liquid.)  When the tofu is golden brown on one side, flip the pieces and brown on the second side.  When finished, the tofu should be slightly crispy on the outside and much chewier in texture.  Set aside until ready to add to the stir-fry.
2. Heat a wok over medium high heat.  Add vegetable oil.  When the oil is hot, add the crushed red pepper flake and curry paste.  Stir to loosen the curry paste.  Add the green beans and cook for approximately 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add the fish sauce and sugar and stir to combine.  Add the tofu and heat through.  
Add the water to the wok (it helps steam the green beans a little and spread the sauce around).  Continue cooking until the beans reach desired tenderness and the water has evaporated.  (I like them a little crisp so it was only another 2-3 minutes.)
3. Add the zest and juice of the 1/2 lime and stir to combine.  Serve with rice.