Easy Thai Sautéed Tofu

1. After removing the tofu from its package, cut the block width-wise into 8 slabs. Lay the slabs flat in between two thick layers of towels. Pile up some heavy books to weigh down on the tofu. Let the towels soak up the water for 15 minutes.
2. Near the end of the tofu pressing time, heat a 12" skillet over medium-high heat while coating it with a thin (~1/8") layer of vegetable oil. Smear the curry paste around the surface of the skillet, and evenly sprinkle the minced garlic around. When the garlic just starts to change color, lay down all of the tofu pieces in the skillet. When all the tofu pieces are in place, generously drizzle soy sauce over each slab.
3. As the tofu cooks, check the bottoms of the pieces every minute or so. After they turn a light golden-brown, flip all of the tofu slabs. Now sprinkle all the ground coriander seed over the newly upturned slabs. Shake some ground pepper over the skillet as well. Let the tofu sizzle until the bottom sides (the sides previously coated in soy sauce) are toasted to satisfaction. Flip the tofu slabs one more time, to allow the coriander side to cook equally.
4. Combine with brown rice, coconut milk, and the vegetables of your choice for a delicious meal. I usually cook two or three batches sequentially (I find that no more than about 8 tofu slabs fit comfortably side by side in a 12" skillet) in order to have enough to feed a few people, or to store for later.
Source of recipe: A few months of kitchen experiments led to this, my go-to formula for quick and tasty tofu.