Tofu Curry

Are you the type who eats tofu just because it is healthier than paneer and not because you actually like it? Then here’s a recipe that you are sure to love. I have tried using tofu as a substitute in many paneer dishes. Honestly, it does not taste as good as paneer, but it isn’t that bad either.* Look for the baking tip at the bottom. the texture of the tofu changes completely once it has been baked.

My parents visited the local library and came back with two Indian cookbooks. My mother has been hooked to one of them, ‘Vegan Indian Cooking’ by Anupy Singla and has written down almost all the recipes from it. One of them was this tofu curry, which looked so yummy that I had to make it. I am quite sure that you will love it too.   

Ingredients

Diced onion – 1

Chopped ginger – 2 tsps

Chopped garlic – 2 tsps

Diced tomato – 1

Green chilies 1-2

Yogurt (soy yogurt for a vegan dish) – ½ cup

Garam masala – 2 tsp

Dried fenugreek – 1 tsp

Oil – 2 tbsps

Asafoetida – ½ tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Turmeric pd – 1 tsp

Cinnamon stick  - 1

Cardamom pods – 2-3

Cloves – 2

Red chili pd – to taste

Water – ½ cup

14 oz pkg firm tofu (baked and spiced)

Cilantro for garnish

Method

Blend together the onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, and chilies. Transfer the ground mixture to a bowl, add yogurt, salt, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, and red chili powder. *I did not have fenugreek leaves at home, so I left it out.

Heat oil in a pan. Add asafoetida, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Cook for about 30 seconds or until the cumin seeds sizzle.

Add the yogurt mixture and the water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly.

Add the tofu and simmer for another 4-5 minutes, remove from heat and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve with rice or rotis. Bon Appètit. 

*The author had provided a tip, to use baked tofu for a firmer, drier texture. I did not have enough time to do this step, so instead of baking the tofu, I broiled it for about 10 minutes.

Cut the tofu slab into ½ inch thick slices. Rub one side of the tofu with garam masala, place the slices with the plain side facing down, and bake in a 350^oF oven for about 15 minutes or broil on high for 10. Turn the slices over, rub with garam masala, and return to the oven for another 15/5 (broil) minutes. Remove, cut into small cubes, and use in the curry. Else, cool it and store in the refrigerator for about a week, or in the freezer for up to two months.  

Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies

It was during one of my visits to the Williams-Sonoma Cooking demos that I walked by Paradise Bakery. It was the only store open in the huge food court, and there was long line. That was no surprise, especially with the aroma of freshly baked goodies wafting in the air.

I decided to check out their ware on my way out. An hour and a half later, I walked past and there was still a long line. This made me even more curious, and I joined the queue. As I neared the counter, I kept peeking at their display to find out what all they had. There were about 10 varieties of cookies and a few breakfast pastries. There was also the smell of freshly brewed coffee to complement the goodies. It was finally my turn and after taking a few moments to decide, I ordered one coconut-chocolate chip cookie and one white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Both were fresh, warm and oh so inviting. But I decided to wait until I got home to indulge in the goodness…you see, I did not want to end up eating both the cookies and leaving only crumbs for my husband!

Fast forward 30 minutes, I was home and taking my first bite of the coconut cookie…bliss!!!

Ingredients (Makes 2 dozen)
Wheat flour – 1 cup

All-purpose flour – 1 cup
Olive oil – 3/4^th cup
Light brown sugar – 1 ¼ cups
Baking Powder – ½ tsp
Milk – 6 tbsps

Toasted coconut – 1 cup

Chocolate chips – ½ cup

Method
In a pan placed on low to medium heat, toast the coconut until it turns light brown. Remember to keep stirring at regular intervals to avoid burning.

Add all the ingredients, except milk, to a bowl and mix well. Slowly add the milk and knead to soft dough. Refrigerate it for 20 minutes. As the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet/baking tray with parchment paper or foil (takes the hassle out of cleaning burnt on stuff).

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out into balls. Flatten with your palms, place on a lined sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them though; the cookies might get done faster in your oven. 

Don’t worry if they feel soft when just out of the oven, they will harden a bit as they cool.

Even though these weren’t as sinfully delicious as the ones from the bakery (considering the fact that these don’t have butter), they were still really really good. Bon Appétit.

NOTE:

• I used frozen grated coconut but dried coconut flakes would be a better option.
• You can make it with all-purpose flour only too. But making it with whole wheat alone may not give it the desired texture.
• If you like crunchier cookies, leave them in the warm oven for a few minutes longer. 

A Trial to Make Broccoli More Palatable

Broccoli is, unfortunately one vegetable that is commonly unpopular amongst children and adults alike…I wonder why! Whenever we eat at a Chinese or Thai restaurant, every piece of broccoli in my husband’s plate comes to me. On the other hand, I know some folks who love the vegetable and have it everyday.

I think it is high time we give the poor vegetable some consideration…and find a middle ground where both parties can find some peace.

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

Broccoli florets – 3 cups

Chopped onion – 1 cup

Garlic – 2 cloves

Ginger – small piece

Bay leaf – 1

Cinnamon – small piece

Star anise – 1

Oil – 2 tbsps

Red chili flakes to taste

Salt to taste

Water as required

Freshly ground pepper powder (optional)

Sour cream/cream/cream cheese for garnish (optional)

Method

Cut, rinse and boil the broccoli florets until tender (about 6-10 minutes).

While it cools, heat oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions, garlic, bay leaf and cinnamon until the onions turn translucent. Add the broccoli and salt to the onions and mix well. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

Once it has cooled considerably, transfer to a blender and blend into a smooth mixture. You might want to do it in batches, to avoid a mess.

Return the blended mixture to the saucepan, add the star anise, red chili flakes, and more salt if required and let it simmer for about five minutes.

Remove into serving bowls, garnish with sour cream/cream/cream cheese, add a dash of pepper and enjoy. 

Result Husband has first spoon full and asks, “What vegetable is this?” I say, “It is your favorite vegetable.” He thinks for a while, makes a few wrong guesses and finally arrives at, “Broccoli?! This is good.” And I turn my attention to the soup, wide grin on my face :-).

 Note:

For a more indulgent version, add grated cheddar a few minutes before serving and allow the cheese to melt into the soup.

I used cream cheese for garnish.  Bring it to room temperature, add a little bit of warm water /milk to dilute it to a pourable consistency and use.  

A Wholesome Breakfast in Under 20 Minutes

Breakfast, as you all know, is the most important meal of the day. In my opinion, if you start your day off with a good breakfast, the rest of the day is bound to go well, don't you agree? The usual routine of idly, dosa, upma becomes boring after some time and I wanted to have something different. That's when I decided to make myself some toast and scrambled tofu. So here's what I did.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

Tofu – ½ cup

Finely chopped onions – 3 tbsps

Finely chopped green chili – 1 tsp

Finely chopped ginger – ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Oil – 2 tsps

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Cilantro for garnish

Brown bread – 2 slices

Butter

Method

Crumble the tofu with a fork and keep ready. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onions and sauté until they turn slightly brown. Add the chopped ginger, chili, and turmeric powder and sauté for a minute.  Add the crumbled tofu  and salt and mix well. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until the tofu loses a bit of its moisture. 

As the tofu cooks, toast and butter the bread and keep ready.

Turn off the heat, add the freshly ground black pepper and cilantro and enjoy it with the toast.

I also made some freshly squeezed orange juice to wash it all down. Have a wonderful day! Bon Appétit.

 

Oats Dumplings (Kozhukatta)

One thing I must admit, I am quite impressed with the numerous cooking shows on South Indian channels that focus on healthy cooking. These segments are a welcome change from the usual deep fried or ghee laden recipes that come on other shows. There are many shows in the U.S. too that showcase healthy cooking, but it is not the same as seeing Indian recipes.

So here is a snack that you can make for your tea-time today!

Ingredients (Makes 14 small dumplings)

Oats – ½ cup

Moong dal – 1 ½ tbsps

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Chopped ginger – 1 tsp

Red chili – 1-2

Water – ½ cup

Gingelly/cooking oil – 1 tbsp

Grated coconut – 2 tbsps (optional)

Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Method

Soak the moong dal for at least 30 minutes.

Toast the oats until they give out a nice aroma. Allow it to cool, powder and keep ready. In a pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds. As they start spluttering, add the curry leaves, red chili(s), and chopped ginger. Sauté for a minute and add the moong dal. Sauté for two minutes and add the powdered oats and salt. Mix well. Start adding water, little by little, and keep stirring continuously. Add the coconut and once the mixture comes together nicely (upma like consistency), take it off the heat and keep aside. 

Get your idly steamer/cooker ready. Lightly grease the idly plate. Roll out the oats mixture into balls of desired size and steam for about 10 minutes. Remove and serve hot.

These dumplings can be eaten as is or with a simple coconut chutney. Bon Appétit.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

My husband and I are still doing smoothies and juices for breakfast, a few times a week. As part of that I made this dairy free smoothie which was a big hit. I saw this recipe on an Indian cooking show based on healthy recipes.

Ingredients (2-3 servings)

Uncooked oats – ½ cup

Strawberries – 4-5

Banana – 1-1½

Honey (optional)

Water for cooking the oats and blending the smoothie – 2½ cups (approx)

Method

Place 1 ½ cups of water and ½ cup oats in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and stir until thick and creamy. Remove from the stove and allow it to cool.(I placed mine in a glass container and put it in the freezer for faster cooling. You could also place the saucepan in a vessel filled with cold water.) While the cooked oats are chilling, chop the strawberries and bananas and keep ready.

Once the oats are completely cooled, pour a little water into the blender, add the oats and the cut fruits and blend away. Taste for sweetness and add honey if required.

Pour into glasses and slurp!!! Bon Appetit.

Our opinion about the smoothie: We did not miss the yogurt/milk and the oats kept us full almost until lunch time. You could also add some walnuts or almonds for extra nutritive value. Fruits that will taste good in this form, I think, are Sapotta (Chikku), Apples, Blackberries, Blueberries, Mango, and  Papaya. Feel free to experiment and let us know your favorite combinations.

Recipe linked to Carole's Chatter Food on Friday: Breakfast Dishes

Healthy Dinners in a Jiffy

Continuing the healthy trend, we have been trying new things for dinner too. We usually don't have rice for dinner, and it sometimes gets monotonous to eat dosas, idlys, or rotis. So we decided to give dinner a healthy spin. Also, eating cold salads on chilly winter nights is not too appetizing, so here are two options for warm salads.

Crispy Lettuce Wrap Tacos

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Lettuce leaves – 4

Corn – ¼ cup

Bell peppers cut into long strips (mixed colors)

Onions cut into long strips

Guacamole as required (recipe given below)

Method

Heat a grill pan or regular pan, and grill the onions and capsicum until they get tender. Throw in the corn and let it also get some light grill marks.

Wash the lettuce leaves and keep ready. Take a few pieces of bell peppers, onions and corn and fill the lettuce leaves. Top with fresh guacamole and indulge. Bon Appétit.

Recipe linked to Food on Friday at http://caroleschatter.blogspot.com/

Grilled Vegetable Burger

A local burger place has an awesome vegetable burger, which is the inspiration for this creation. Instead of using a vegetarian patty, they stack thinly sliced grilled, seasoned vegetables and cheese and serve them between toasted buns. My variation, same stack of vegetables, minus the cheese and buns.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Eggplant slices – 4 (from large eggplant)

Thinly sliced green and gray zucchini – 1-1 ½ cups

Thinly sliced bell peppers – 1 cup

Thinly sliced onions – ½ cup

Guacamole as required (recipe given below)

Spice mix – salt, chili powder, garlic and herb seasoning mix (optional)

Method

I recommend using a grill pan for this (for those awesome grill marks on the vegetables), but regular frying pan will work fine too.

Heat a pan, on medium heat, and start grilling the eggplant first. Sprinkle some of the spice mix on both sides. Because we are trying to eat healthy, I did not use any oil. But you can use some if you wish. As the eggplant starts cooking, start grilling the remaining vegetables. Sprinkle some of the spice mix on the vegetables too. Toss the zucchini and peppers to ensure that they don’t burn. Once all the vegetables are tender, place one piece of the eggplant on a plate, assemble the vegetables on it, top with a dollop of guacamole and cover with the second piece of eggplant..and dig in. Bon Appétit. 

Guacamole

Ingredients

Avocado – 1

Finely chopped onion – 2-3 tbsps

Finely chopped tomato – 2-3 tbsps

Lemon juice to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro (optional)

Method

Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh. Mash it with a fork, add the onions, tomatoes, salt, pepper and lemon juice and mix well. Mix in the cilantro and enjoy.

Note:

I used my vegetable peeler for slicing the zucchinis. They came out really well, slightly uneven, but good enough to for the burger. 

You can use any vegetables of your choice. Play around with a variety of squashes to suit your palates.