Coconut Cabbage and Tofu With Lemongrass and Ginger

November 26, 2019

4.3

(24)

Image of vegetarian rendang recipe in a casserole dish with cabbage coconut tofu and carrot.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

For this vegetarian dinner, we roast thick wedges of cabbage, carrots, and tofu in a spiced coconut milk sauce until they're wonderfully softened and caramelized. Puréeing the coconut milk with chopped lemongrass, fresh ginger, garlic, and spices in a blender ensures that the tougher aromatics are completely incorporated to form a smooth sauce.

Recipe information

Total Time
1 hour
Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

1 (14.5-oz.) can coconut milk

1 lemongrass stalk, top half trimmed, tough outer layers removed, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves

1 2" piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 (14-oz.) block firm or extra-firm tofu, drained

1 small or 1/2 large head of cabbage (about 1 1/2 lb.), cut into 2" wedges through core

3 large carrots (about 1 lb.), peeled, cut into 2" segments

Toasted coconut chips, steamed rice, and lime wedges (for serving; optional)

Preparation

Step 1
Place a rack in top third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Purée coconut milk, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, salt, sugar, turmeric, coriander, and cayenne in a blender until smooth.
Step 2
Squeeze tofu over a medium bowl or sink with your hands, gently at first, then more firmly to expel as much water as possible (like squeezing out a big sponge). Don’t worry if it starts to crack apart. When no more liquid comes out, tear tofu into 2" pieces; discard liquid. Place in a shallow 13x9" baking dish. Add cabbage and carrots, arrange in an even layer, and pour sauce over.
Step 3
Bake, basting the vegetables and tofu halfway through, until carrots are fork-tender, most of the liquid is evaporated, and the top is golden brown and lightly charred in places, 40–45 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
Step 4
Top with coconut chips (if using). Serve with rice and lime wedges alongside (if using).
Editor’s note: Head this way for more of our best cabbage recipes →

TagsGratin Casserole Cabbage Leafy Greens Vegetable Tofu Coconut Milk Main Dinner Vegetarian Dairy Free Gluten Free Vegan Easy Weeknight Meals Sheet-Pan Dinners Roast Epicurious

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Reviews (24)

I’ve made this a half dozen times, and tried out lots of different variations. Here’s my best changes: Add 1 wedged onion, a chunked sweet potato, a couple small quartered potatoes, and a handful of golden raisins to the cabbage and carrots. At the end, add toasted cashews. Double the sauce if you want enough to serve this on rice. Makes a lovely meal with the additions.
- Anonymous
- Eugene, Oregon
- 3/1/2022
This is some thing to use the ingredients you have in your refrigerator. I googled cabbage tofu curry because that’s what I had and I needed to use. It’s OK but I agree that cabbage doesn’t go too well with curry, but it’s OK and it served it’s purpose for me.
- Anonymous
- 12/8/2021
This was delicious. After about 20 min at 425, I lowered the temp to 350 and cooked it for about 45 more minutes because we liked the vegetables softer and without charring. I covered with foil after cooking for awhile to preserve the wonderful sauce. This sauce was amazing! I will make this dish again and use the sauce in other recipes.
- MJ Gonzales
- Fredericksburg, VA
- 8/31/2021
Just made this tonight as a side dish for something else. No tufu nor carrots, only the cabbage. This was delicious, very tasty.
- AudHub
- Montreal, Canada
- 2/14/2021
After reading the reviews, I made a few changes and it turned out great. I pre-roasted the vegetables until they started to char and caramelize. I used a mix of cauliflower, red cabbage, and carrots. I pan-fried the tofu (pre-coated in salt and turmeric) in hot oil until it started to get crispy. I didn't have lemongrass so I added a good dollop of curry paste to the coconut milk and upped the other spices. Then I baked everything together at 400 for about half an hour and served on rice. Even my 6-year-old loved it.
- abarbastok
- Toronto
- 11/16/2020
Just great for us. Didn't have the lemongrass, but no matter. The rest of the ingredients were fantastic and tasty.
- latenightgator
- Boca Raton, FL
- 7/3/2020
It was a great first few bites, but it soon got to overwhelming. Tofu did not go well in this dish. Loved the carrot and the sauce but if I would try this again, I would maybe use cauliflower and just skip the cabbage and tofu.
- Anonymous
- Gothenburg, Sweden
- 6/10/2020