Sweet and Sour Tofu with Broccoli Rice

Sweet and Sour Tofu; Broccoli Rice

This is the combo we enjoyed over the weekend. The Sweet and Sour Tofu incorporates shallow fried tofu with peppers and onions in a sweet-sour sauce. Broccoli rice is a recipe I first saw on Chitra's Cuisine and its become a family favorite. Its a good way to sneak in broccoli if someone in your family does not like this veggie.

Here's how I made the Sweet and Sour Tofu:

1 package extra firm or firm tofu - drain and wrap in paper towels. Place a heavy weight on top and let it sit for 1/2 hour. Then cut into bit size cubes. Mix 4 tbsp corn flour with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper pwd. Dredge the cubed tofu in this mix and shallow fry in a non stick pan till golden brown.

For the sweet and sour sauce - Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan, Fry about 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions for 5 mins on medium heat. Then add 2 cloves minced garlic and fry another 5 mins. Add 1 cup of thinly sliced peppers (I use a combination of green, red, yellow and orange bell peppers) and fry for 5 more minutes.

In the meanwhile prep the sauce - use the left over corn flour mix. To this add 4 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (adjust to heat level desired) and 2 tbsp Sweet and Sour Sauce. This sauce is available in regular grocery stores. Add about 1 cup water and mix well,

Pour this sauce into the fried onion/pepper mix and give it one boil.

Pour the sweet and sour sauce out into the serving bowl; add the fried tofu and gently mix to cover tofu with the sauce. Garnish with chopped green onions and chopped roasted peanuts. Serve hot.

This is how I make Broccoli Rice - Bring 1/2 cup water to boil in a pan. Add a big pinch of salt, 1 cup broccoli flowerets and handful of spinach leaves. Cover and cook 5 mins.

Cool slightly and puree. Then heat 2 tsp oil and fry sliced onions for 5 mins on medium heat. Add 1 clove mined garlic and fry another 5 mins. Add finely chopped red bell pepper and fry 2-3 mins.

Now add the pureed broccoli/spinach and fry 5 mins. Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce and 1 cup cooked rice. Mix lightly. Check seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed, and a pinch of sugar. Fry for 5 mins.

Serve Broccoli rice with a wedge of lemon.

Tofu Bhurji

Tofu Bhurji is a combination of crumbled tofu, onions and peppers with desi spices and a touch of soy sauce. It is a good alternative to paneer bhurji and works even for those who usually turn up their noses at the mention of tofu.

Here's how I make it:

Heat 2 tsp oil in a wide non-stick pan. Drain  a pack of firm tofu well, crumble with fork and add to the pan. Saute on medium high heat, stirring often for 5 to 10 minutes until the tofu dries and starts to brown a bit. Reduce heat to medium and add about 1/2 cup chopped onion and 1 clove garlic (minced). Continue to saute until onion starts softening. Then add another 1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped bell peppers (I like to use combination of colors - green, red, orange and yellow). Saute another 5 mins. Add 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes and 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast. Add seasoning - 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pav bhaji masala, 1 tsp cumin-coriander pwd, 1/4 tsp red chilli pwd, 1/4 tsp turmeric pwd. Adjust seasonings to taste. Lastly add 1 tbsp. soy sauce. Mix well, cover and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm with toast for a hearty breakfast/brunch. We also like it with roti for lunch or dinner.

Tofu Omelette

This recipe idea is courtesy of a lovely lady I bumped into the other day at Trader Joes. We just got talking and she gave me some wonderful tofu recipe ideas. I did not waste any time in trying this out.

Here's how I made the tofu omelette:

1/2 block soft tofu
1/2 cup semolina/rawa
Seasoning to taste - salt, red chilli pwd/green chilli paste
Veggies to add - onions, bell peppers, spinach, tomatoes, cilantro - all finely chopped

Mix all the ingredients, add abt 1/2 cup water to make a batter. Pour 1 ladleful on a hot pan and drizzle a few drops of oil. Roast until golden brown, flip and roast similarly on the other side.

Serve with ketchup or chutney.

The batter

Omelette being roasted

Omelette being roasted

Curried Vegetables and Tofu

I had borrowed a book from my library called 125 best vegan recipes by Maxine Chuck & Beth Gurney, in the hopes of preparing a vegan sweet dish. But as it happens sometimes, I could not get around to that. Instead, I found this lovely, healthy curry dish in it. I made this for our guests last Saturday. Though it was the first time I made this, I was quite sure it would turn out well. Why not, with all the good stuff going into it. And I was not disappointed at all.

Here's how I made it, tweaking the recipe in the book a bit to suit our taste:

1 Vidalia sweet onion - chopped
1 red bell pepper - chopped
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup carrots - sliced thick
1 can chickpeas - drained & rinsed
1 pack extra firm tofu - drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup coconut milk (I used lite)
1 cup vegetable stock

2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp garam masala pwd.
1 tsp coriander pwd.
1 tsp cumin pwd
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1 tsp red chilli pwd, or to taste
Salt to taste

Cut the tofu into 4 slabs and dry roast it in a large non-stick skillet. I learnt this technique from Sia's Monsoon Spice and have used it in many dishes that use tofu. I love the texture it gives to the tofu. Place the slabs of tofu on the hot skillet, press gently to release the water. When they brown on one side, turn over and repeat on the other side. Remove from skillet and cube the tofu. I find that first cutting the tofu into slabs, dry roasting them, then cubing, works quicker for lazy me, rather than having to work with each cube on the skillet.

Heat oil in the same skillet. Saute the onions for about 3-5 mins, until transluscent. Add the red pepper & ginger and saute another 2-3 mins. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and vegetable stock, Cook for 5 mins on medium. Add salt, spices, diced tomato, chickpeas and tofu. Mix well. Cover and cook for 5 mins, then cook uncovered for 5 mins. Stir in the coconut milk, adjust spices. Give it one good boil.