Friday, September 7, 2007

Spicy Tofu



I recently made spicy tofu with garam masala. Garam
masala, a blend of spices, is commonly used in
North Indian dishes. I made garam masala following
this recipe .
However, I used just 1 tbsp of cardamom seeds instead
of 2 tbsp of cardamom seeds to make garam masala powder.

I often make spice blends at home, because dishes
cooked with fresh spice blends tastes great, and also I
love the aroma of spices when I dry toast the
spices.

You can also use ready made garam masala powder, sold in
Indian stores and some supermarkets to make this dish.

1 (16-oz) firm or extra-firm tofu, drain the water ,and cut tofu into 3/4 - 1 inch cubes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 tbsp - 3/4 tbsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/8 tsp turmeric(optional)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro(optional)
salt to taste

Method
Heat oil in a large skillet, add chopped onion, and
saute for 3-4 minutes.Add chopped bell pepper and
saute until the bell pepper becomes tender. Add the
spices and tofu, saute until the tofu changes to light brown.
Next add tomatoes, and cook for another couple of minutes
until the tomatoes become very soft. Add salt, and garnish with cilantro.

Serve with pita bread, or chapatis.

22 comments:

Arun Shanbhag said...

Kumudha
Thank you for sharing this seemingly quick recipe. Will get some tofu over the weekend and give it a try.

Looks like it will go great with bread or chapatis. Thank you and Have a great weekend.

Vegan_Noodle said...

Garam masala is such a wonderful blend of spices! Thanks for sharing your recipe, sounds simple and looks delicious!

Rajitha said...

hey kumudha.. i like to make my masalas fresh too.. it adds the extra oomph to the dish.. urs looks lovely

Arun Shanbhag said...

I think I posted by mistake in your previous post.
Just picked up the exact same extra-firm organic for 99c !!!
will try over the weekend.

How long does it keep in the refrigerator. Do I have to keep it in the juice?

TBC said...

Your post just reminded me that I have some week-old tofu sitting in the refrigerator.I will make something along these lines.

FH said...

My daughter loves Tofu, I am into it much.Looks great though:))

Leah said...

I see the recipe for Mysore Pak down there, I LOVE it! I can't believe I didn't think to use vegetable oil in place of ghee. I love your modified recipes.

(And pumpkin works great in everything :D)

Kumudha said...

Arun,
I prefer to use the cooked tofu within a day or two. And also this dish does not contain much water, as water is not added.

vegan_noodle,
Garam masala is indeed a great spice blend. I also like it!

Rajitha,
It is nice to know that you too make spice blends!

tbc,
tofu is such a versatile item and also it cooks pretty fast.

ashaji,
Thanks for visiting! You should try this dish!

leah,
So many indian sweets can be made without ghee and milk!

Peace, Love and Veganism said...

Oh yum! I saw your comment on my blog and when I saw this post, I knew I would be bookmarking it! I will make this recipe soon, because I have a good amount of garam masala sitting in my spice cabinet. I just love Indian food. I was introduced to it during my college undergrad years, when I played field hockey with graduate students from India. They invited me to the university's Diwali celebration one year, and I was an Indian food convert! We went out last night to Radhuni (local place) and were soooo happy with our food. The restaurant said that they do not use ghee, only veggie oil, and that ghee was mostly used in household cooking. Is this true?

Kumudha said...

peace, love and veganism,
Since ghee is expensive, most of the restaurants use veggie oil in their cooking. But, a dollop of butter or ghee may be sometimes added to some dishes such as masala dosa. During my recent visit to India, I noticed that upscale restaurants added a dollop of ghee to many side-dishes, curries...
Yes, Indian homes always have ghee.

urban vegan said...

When are you going to write your Indian vegan cook book? I will pre-order it on Amazon right away.

Kristen's Raw said...

I was born and raised in Michigan. I'm in Arizona now, and loving it. It's nice to meet you....I love meeting fellow vegans who are into food. Cheers!

Kristen Suzanne
-------
www.KristensRaw.blogspot.com

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Mmm that spicy tofu looks GOOD!

aTxVegn said...

That looks great! I like the recipe you used for garam masala. Indian food is just about my favorite!

Menu Today said...

Hi Kumudha,
I never tried Tofu.. After seeing your dish I wanted to try. Thanks for sharing.

SaraJane said...

That looks yummy! I love the flavors in garam masala.

Almost Vegetarian said...

I like recipes like this because they are big on taste and short on time. Thanks for posting it.

Cheers!

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

I'm interested in your process for making spice blends! Your spicy tofu looks delicious! :)

Theresa said...

That food looks great. I've just tagged you for a meme, so check out my latest post for more info...

Jackie said...

Thanks for the great tofu recipe. Sadly we only get one brand easily here and it is a very solid block. I really must try and make the silken tofu myself.

zlamushka said...

Kumudha,

thanx for visiting my blog. I am a very vegan friendly person who loves spices. Tofu recipes are always welcome in my kitchen. Thanx :-)

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