For the galangal:

Clean the galangal and remove any dirt. Peel the galangal root with a paring knife. Grate the galangal with a fine mesh microplane. Gather about 1 tablespoon of grated galangal root. Set aside.

For the lemongrass:

Wash the lemongrass. Remove all the white powder off of the leaves. Cut into extremely thin slices using a chef knife. In a mortar and pestle, grind the thin slices of lemongrass and then transfer and mix everything using a mini food processor. It should turn into a fine moist powder. Transfer in a bowl. Set aside.

For the cardamom pods and mustard seeds:

In a mortar and pestle, Slightly crush the pods. Remove and discard the shells. Add the mustard seeds and grind the seeds into a fine powder. Set aside.

For the curry sauce:

In a saucepan, heat about 2 teaspoons of peanut oil. Add and melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the sliced shallot and whole red Thai bird chili. Cook until the shallot is golden. Remove the shallot and chiles and transfer to a plate. Set aside.

Add the minced garlic and curry leaves to the saucepan, cook for less than a minute then add the galangal puree and lemongrass. Cook until they are slightly golden. Add the cardamom, mustard, tumeric, coriander and cumin powders. Add the vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil. Stir constantly until the liquid thickens. Add the brown sugar, coconut powder (if used), coconut milk and turmeric paste. Decrease the heat to low. Stir frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove and discard the curry leaves, if possible.

Transfer the sauce to a mini-blender, process until the sauce has a smooth consistency. Add peanut butter, the lime juice, a tablespoon of fresh cilantro and soy sauce. To faciliatate the flow in the blender, you can thin the sauce by adding about 2 tablespoons of coconut milk and about a tablespoon of vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Transfer back to the saucepan. Add the fried shallot and red bird chiles (don't add the chili if you don't like it too spicy). Reheat the sauce over low heat.

For the tofu satay:

Cut the piece of tofu into 3/4 inch even slices.Cut the tofu slices in 3 equal pieces vertically (into 2-inch wide pieces). Separate each piece from another other.

Pour the rest of the canola oil in a 10-inch pan. You should be able to get about a 1 inch deep layer of oil. Heat the oil for about 2 minutes. The key to a good fried tofu is to get little bubbles when the tofu is in contact with the oil. Don't overheat the oil otherwise the tofu will get too golden and chewy. Just stick to the slighlty jumping bubbles. Place the tofu one piece at a time, make sure the tofu pieces don't touch each other. Lower the heat to a medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes, the tofu will start to pop and increase in volume. Flip each piece and cook about a minute longer. Pick each tofu piece with wooden chopstick with little oil as possible and immediately dip the tofu into the peanut sauce mixture. The tofu will deflate instantaneously. Pick up the peanut sauce sunken tofu with another pair of clean wooden chopsticks. Repeat until all the tofu pieces are ready. Drizzle a little sesame oil.

Garnish with crushed peanuts. Decorate with more cilantro leaves on top if you like.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Eat with chopsticks!