Drain the tofu, cut lengthwise into 4 slabs, and set on a clean tea towel or paper towels to soak up excess moisture. If using firm tofu, you may want to cover with the towel and put a weight on top for a few minutes. Cut into ¾-inch cubes.

Heat the oil in a large, (non-stick is nice) skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the tofu and let cook, without stirring, until the bottoms of the cubes are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn the pieces to another side and push them to the sides of the pan.

If the middle of the pan seems dry, add in a teaspoon more of oil. Add the green onions and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring just the onions, until they are blistered and charred in places and the tofu is golden on a couple of sides. Remove from the heat and stir in the red pepper. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, curry paste, garlic, ginger, salt, and about 10 grinds black pepper in a medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk until smooth and heated through, about 5 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and remove from the heat. Let the noodles soak in the hot water until they are just tender to your tongue, 5 to 10 minutes. (If they soak too long they become gummy and break apart.) Drain, saving some of the soaking liquid.

Whisk ½ to ¾ cup of noodle-soaking water into the sauce, to thin the sauce to the consistency of light cream. Taste, adding more salt if you think it’s needed.

Toss with the tofu, green onions, red pepper, and half of the cilantro. Transfer to a serving bowl, or divide among individual bowls. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and chopped peanuts. Serve immediately.