Tofu Chutney
Tofu curry is one of the most protein-packed vegetarian meals.
I never knew what it was until I watched the Sandra Bullock movie, Two Weeks Notice.
Tofu is tasteless actually but it’s protein content is what makes it quite impressive. I’ve tried frying it, steaming it and lastly cooking it in a curry. Of course, curry is best in my books. My diet is quite simple in that any onion and tomato chutney resembles free food. I can’t eat too little or too much of it, which is wonderful when I feel famished.
This dish was made for supper. A time of the day when I try not to eat any carbs. Some days I fail but that’s okay. I’ve long realised that eating healthy is in the mind and as long as I get in wholesome wholegrains like brown rice, sorghum or millet, I’m happy.
Ingredients
500g Tofu (medium-hard)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 curry leaf stalk
grated ginger, roughly 1 tablespoon
2 cloves of garlic
handful of Rosemary, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped or grated
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 small can coconut milk (lite)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp whole jeera seeds
1 star aniseed
3 chilies
4 teaspoons chilli spice
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon jeera powder
1 tbsp flour
salt to taste
cracks of black pepper
Method
On a medium-high stove fry onions, jeera seeds, mustard seeds, chillies and aniseed until the onions are see through.
Add chilli, jeera spice, ginger and garlic and let that fry for one minute. Keep stirring.
Add tomatoes and curry leaves. Add about 1/8 cup of water to the pot and stir the pot every 2-3 minutes for 10 minutes. Add another 1/8 cup of water, tomato paste and mix well. Close the pot, lower the temperature and cook for 20 minutes. During this time, keep opening the pot every 5 minutes and stirring.
When the water is completely drained from the tomatoes, add coconut milk to the pot. Season well.
Simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
Add tofu and thicken gravy with 1 tbsp flour or quinoa flour or normal flour.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes and your chutney is ready. I usually let the curry sit for 10 minutes before serving to allow the water to draw out of the tofu. You will gauge how thick your gravy is at this stage. Add a bit more flour to the gravy if you want it thickened a bit more.
Sprinkle with garam masala and serve up with cracks of black pepper.
