Swimming Rama Tofu

This vegan swimming rama is made with crisp pan-fried tofu and tender spinach in a luscious peanut sauce. A decadent flavor-bomb of a meal that can be whipped up with simple ingredients in under 30 minutes!

Ever feel like you could make an entire meal of peanut sauce? Well, this swimming rama tofu is about as close as you can get without feeling weird about it. Swimming rama is also commonly known as tofu pra ram, a classic Thai dish made with spinach and peanut sauce. The tofu is quite literally swimming in a rich, luscious peanut sauce, and yes, it’s as decadent as it sounds. Maybe you’ve had tofu pra ram while dining at your favorite Thai restaurant. You might be surprised to know it’s one of the easiest dishes ever to make at home!

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I love a good dish featuring peanut sauce, like my sesame peanut noodles, tofu satay, and rainbow peanut butter stir-fry. This one is similar, but uses a lot of peanut sauce. It’s pretty much the star of the dish, though you’ll also love the crispy pan-fried tofu and tender spinach.

The best part? This scrumptious vegan dinner comes together in about 25 minutes. You’ll make the sauce with simple ingredients, pan-fry the tofu, then simmer everything together with spinach. Boom! A restaurant-quality Thai meal you can make any day of the week (and you’ll probably want to make every day of the week).

Ingredients You’ll Need

Below you’ll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.

Peanut butter. You’ll want to use creamy peanut butter (not chunky), of the natural (runny) variety.

Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Conventional brown sugar is sometimes processed using animal bone char.

Soy sauce. Tamari and liquid aminos make great alternatives, if you need one.

Lime juice. Go with freshly squeezed if you want the best flavor.

Coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk from a can to get the richest, creamiest sauce.

Vegetable oil. Pretty much any high-heat oil you normally like to cook with will work.

Garlic.

Red curry paste. Make sure it’s vegan. Many brands use ingredients like shrimp paste or fish sauce. Maesri is a good vegan brand to look for, though it has a kick. Thai Kitchen is a popular milder brand.

Spinach.

Peanuts.

Rice. I love this recipe with jasmine rice, but you can use whatever you like.

Tip: If you love the combination of peanut butter and greens, give my African peanut soup a try. Totally different flavor profile, but just as delicious and indulgent.

How It’s Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

Step 1: Make the sauce. First, whisk your peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice together, then whisk in the coconut milk. The mixture should be smooth and thick, but pourable. Give it a taste test and add more soy sauce, lime juice, or brown sugar if needed.

Step 2: Cook the tofu. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with your oil, place it over medium heat, and let it heat up for a minute. Now add diced tofu and cook the cubes for a few minutes, flipping every so often. You want them golden brown and crispy.

Garlic and curry paste cooking in a skillet with pan-fried tofu.

Step 3: Cook garlic and curry paste. Add minced garlic and a couple of teaspoons of curry paste to the skillet, then sauté them together briefly. Make sure to stir constantly to avoid burning.

Swimming Rama Tofu cooking in a skillet on the stove.

Step 4: Simmer. Add the sauce along with the spinach. Stir everything well and let the mixture simmer very briefly. Once the spinach wilts you can take the skillet off of heat.

Bowl of Swimming Rama Tofu with skillet and napkin in the background.

Step 5: Serve. Your swimming rama tofu is done! Dish it up over rice, top it with chopped peanuts, and prepare to face plant. It’s SO GOOD!

Variations

Add veggies. This dish is very saucy, so there’s room for extra veggies. Broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, and baby corn would all be delicious. These veggies need a bit more cook time than spinach, so either steam them first, or add them with the sauce and let them simmer for a few minutes before adding the spinach. The sauce may reduce, so you’ll need to add a bit of water.

Serve over spinach. This is actually a more traditional way of serving pra ram tofu. Instead of cooking the spinach in the sauce, serve your tofu and sauce over spinach, which can be fresh or briefly steamed.

Swap the protein. Not into tofu? You could easily make this dish with seitan, tempeh, or even a can of chickpeas. Yes, I said chickpeas — they work in my peanut butter curry and they work here, too!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this recipe gluten-free?

It is if you substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce.

Can I use frozen spinach?

You can! Thaw it out and squeeze out any excess water before adding it to the sauce.

How should I store my leftovers and how long will they keep?

Leftovers of this dish will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. The sauce thickens during storage, so you may need to whisk in a splash of water before reheating it.

More Thai Tofu Recipes

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📖 Recipe

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Ingredients

½ cup creamy natural peanut butter¼ cup organic brown sugar3 tablespoons soy sauce2 tablespoons lime juice¾ cup full-fat coconut milk1 tablespoon vegetable oil1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu, drained and cubed (½-inch)3 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons vegan red curry paste6 ounces fresh spinach¼ cup roasted and salted peanuts, choppedCooked rice, for serving

Instructions

To make the sauce, whisk the peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the coconut milk until the mixture is smooth. It should be thick, but pourable. You can thin it with a few splashes of water if it’s too thick. Taste-test the sauce and adjust any seasonings as needed. Set aside.

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the tofu, arranging the cubes in an even layer. Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, flipping the pieces once or twice so they brown on multiple sides.

Push the tofu to the back of the skillet, then add the garlic and curry paste to the space you created. Sauté the garlic and curry paste together for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.

Add the spinach and sauce to the skillet. Stir the ingredients well to ensure that the curry paste gets fully mixed into the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook just until the spinach has fully wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat.

Serve over rice, topping each portion with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts.

Notes

Nutrition information does not include rice.

Nutrition