Collard Greens Stir Fry with Fried Tofu

Fall greens from last year are at the end of their lifecycle, flowering and going to seed now. If I am not too lazy, I hope to save the seeds and use it again this year.

After the cold winter, it is refreshing to see the hardy annual greens in the garden survive and thrive till they give up: Kale, Chard, and Collard greens. Arugula has flowered and gone to seed as well. Time to dig up the patch and start afresh...

Anyway, I have been incorporating these greens from the garden in my cooking lately. Collard greens is a special favorite thanks to their sturdy leaves and their tender stems that cook up easily.

Some collard greens from the garden, plus  carrots, and bell peppers, along with hunks of onion-flavored fried tofu come together in this simple stir-fry. Use any favorite stir-fry sauce, I tend to go with whatever is handy to throw together and am in the mood for, and I don't measure exactly.

Spring onion and garlic shoots have been popping up, fresh and happy as ever so I liberally garnish the dishes with these beauties.

Bui's Natural Tofu is my go-to store for getting tofu that I enjoy.
(Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Bui's Natural Tofu)


Ingredients
Onion flavored fried tofu (pictured in buinaturaltofu.com)
Carrots
Red and green bell peppers
2 cups chopped collard greens, stem and all

Flavoring:
Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce, if preferred)
Tamari
Sesame oil
Rice vinegar
Mirin
Agave nectar or Grape Molasses (or, just brown sugar is fine)
freshly grated ginger
minced fresh garlic

Preparation

1. Heat some sesame oil in a pan, add the ginger and garlic, and stir fry till aromatic, then add the bell peppers, carrots and collard greens
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients for the stir-fry sauce, adjust flavors to taste and keep handy; usually, I make more than needed and save the rest for another day
3. When veggies are slightly tender, add in the sauce, stir fry, and finish cooking.
4. Garnish with spring onions and toasted sesame seeds

Rockfish with Peppers, Kale, and Tofu

Some of the fresh-caught Alaskan rockfish that came home frozen this summer was ready to be cooked after thawing overnight in the fridge.

Some sauteed colorful bell peppers, ancho chilies, kale, and onions make the cozy bed on which the bite-sized chunks of rockfish is served.

Rockfish itself was cooked on a pan with a dash of apple cider vinegar, a generous drop of Zenjiang vinegar, and a splash of Braggs Liquid Aminos.

The tofu is my favorite part. Some Kolhapuri Thecha from my previous venture combined with some BBQ sauce plus some Braggs Liq. Aminos forms the flavor sauce. Toss the extra firm tofu cubes with this sauce and bake in a 450 ° F oven for about 25 minutes.

Serve with a side of rice, if preferred.

Dubu-Jorim: Spicy Chili Onion Braised Tofu

There are versions of this spicy chili onion tofu dish in Korean, Japanese, Chinese, even Indian cuisine where tofu is usually substituted with paneer (bag cheese). As always, the recipe here is adapted to my taste, so adjust the chili/heat to your palate.

The spicy onion chili tofu comes together quickly and is a fine addition to a simple Bibimbap bowl, along with some braised or steamed greens and veggies, plus fried eggs.

Although this recipe uses fried tofu, if fresh block of firm tofu is all that's available, it is just a quick step to make crispy pan-fried tofu without all the oil and deep-frying. Simply press the block of fresh tofu to squeeze out excess water, cut into cubes, pat dry, and dust with seasoned corn starch (I typically add chili powder, garlic powder, and salt for flavor; plus a pinch of brown sugar for caramelization and color). Pan-fry on a medium hot cast iron skillet flipping to cook all sides till crisp on the outside.

Ingredients:
12 to 16 oz. Fried tofu, cubed
1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
2 green chilies, chopped finely
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil


For the Chili Sauce:
1 Tbsp fried chili in oil
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
2 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
¼ cup water

Preparation:

1. Combine the chili sauce ingredients, stir well and keep handy
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, chopped green chilies, crushed garlic, and brown sugar; saute over medium heat till onion caramelizes
3. Add the chili sauce and simmer till it reduces a bit and thickens
4. Stir in the tofu, cover and allow to simmer some more till the flavors are absorbed by the tofu and it gets a rich thick coating of the sauce all over
5. Remove from heat, garnish with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions

Eggplant, Beetroot and Tofu with Curry Leaves and Oregano

Some curry leaves, spring onions, and oregano leaves garnish this simple sauteed dish. The flavors are derived from southeast Asian cuisine - a bit of tamarind, dry red chilies, ginger and garam masala.

Ingredients
2 cups Eggplant, cubed
1 cup cooked Beets, cubed
2 cups Tofu, cubed

6 Curry leaves, some torn, some whole
1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves (optional - I had it handy in the garden)
1 Tbsp chopped spring onions
4 dry red chilies, broken into small pieces
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp tamarind concentrate (sold as Sour Soup Mix in Asian stores)
2 Tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 Tbsp garam masala powder
1 tsp demerara sugar or jaggery or brown sugar
1 Tbsp chili oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil


Preparation

1. Heat the oils in a pan; add the broken chilies, grated ginger, torn curry leaves (reserving whole curry leaves for garnish)
2. Add the tofu, beets, and eggplant, saute to coat with oil, add the rest of the flavoring ingredients, add a splash of water, cover and cook till eggplant is done
3. Garnish and serve warm with rice

Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins

Much like the classic Potato Skins and Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes, this Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins are quite easy to make and can be a delicious side or meal.

Rather than the bell peppers and mushroom stuffing/filling as below, I went with leftover baked tofu, bean sprouts for the version in the picture. To moisten the stuffing, I added some warm vegetable broth, just enough to keep the stuffing together.

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. Wash and clean the skin of the sweet potato thoroughly.
2. Prick the sweet potato with a fork in several places and microwave for a few minutes till cooked and firm, not mush (cooking time will vary depending on the microwave)
3. Slice the cooked Sweet potato in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the middle leaving a ¼ inch thick flesh attached to the skin - this will be the "Sweet Potato Skin" (SPS) from now on. Save the scooped pulp for filling
4. Brush the SPS with olive oil and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, first with the cut side down, then with the cut side up
5. Meanwhile, sauté some diced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms with some spices and seasoning, then off heat stir in the mashed innards of the cooked sweet potato that was scooped out earlier; adjust flavors to taste
6. When SPS comes out of the oven, scoop the filling into the hollows of the halves and garnish with spring onions and serve warm

Ruby Chard, Green Chickpeas, Eggplant and Tofu

Swiss Chard, Ruby Chard, Rainbow Chard... they have good flavor and go well with other vegetables.

I had about half a long Chinese eggplant, a bunch of chard, some cooked green chickpeas and some marinated baked tofu. They came together to make a wonderful chunky and colorful dish that is just juicy enough, rather like a stew.

The dish is flavored it lightly with some garlic cloves, coriander powder, paprika, sautéed in olive oil.

Add the chard, green chickpeas, and eggplant chunks, some salt and water/stock. Cover and simmer till vegetables are done to your liking. Top with marinated pan-fried tofu chunks and serve warm.

Stir-fried Yellow and Green Beans with Pan-fried Tofu and Chevre

Being primarily vegetarian, a plateful of vegetables completely satisfies my appetite. 'Primarily vegetarian'? I caught myself asking as I typed, and then started wondering how it might come across. Well, I do taste the poultry and fish I cook for the family (no beef, pork, lamb etc), but I don't relish it as a meal, having spent the first 3 decades of my life as a vegetarian. So, while no strict rules about it, I do tend to avoid eating meat.

Well, now that we've gotten that bit of trivia out of the way, this plate full of stir-fried veggies made quite a sumptuous meal that I wanted to share here.

Pan-fried tofu is a great option for adding protein to a vegetarian meal (well, unless there is some soy intolerance and other health reasons). When we buy a block or two, I tend to bake/pan-fry a batch and have it handy in the fridge/freezer.

The flavoring for the baked tofu is carried through to the vegetables in this recipe via the marinade. Of course, feel free to substitute any other favorite marinade/dressing.

Ingredients
Extra Firm tofu
a variety of green beans and baby carrots, par-cooked
peeled and sliced garlic cloves
Chèvre - Goat Cheese
Crushed roasted peanuts
vegetable oil

Marinade:
Soy sauce
Balsamic vinegar
Minced garlic
Agave nectar (just a tiny bit)
Hot sauce (I used Tapatio Salsa Picante which was handy, but prefer Sambal Oelek)

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400° F
2. Stir or blend the marinade well; make enough for tofu as well as vegetables, and maybe save some for drizzling right before serving
3. Slice the block of tofu into 1cm thick slices, drench in marinade and bake for about 45 minutes, flipping half way though and basting with marinade as needed; remove from oven, allow to cool and cut into strips
4. Heat oil in a pan, add the par-cooked beans, some marinade, sliced garlic, and stir fry; toss in strips of tofu as well
5. Off heat, stir in crushed roasted peanuts, drizzle extra marinade if preferred, dot with tangy clean-tasting chèvre to balance the flavors and serve at room temperature

Tamarind Sesame Flavored Tofu with Vegetables

I had about quarter cup of the Ellu Molagu Podi (Sesame Black Pepper Spice Mix) saved in the fridge from the last batch that needed to be used up before the flavors started deteriorating. And that's how this tasty tofu dish came about for a quick meal.

I grew up with tamarind - it was ubiquitous in South Indian cuisine and my mom was liberal about using it in the staples like Sambar, Rasam, Pachadi and such. Of course, in those days it was in the form of Idicha Puli (Compacted Tamarind) which my mom used with care, and also loose clumps of tamarind - seed and all -simply soak it in hot water and extract the tamarind juice as thick or as thin as needed. Oftentimes, the thick first extract is reserved for sambar and the thinner second extract from the same batch of tamarind is used for rasam.

Well, enough with reminiscing... For this recipe, I used store-bought packaged Vietnamese Tamarind Cooking Sauce which is not the same as Tamarind Concentrate/Paste that is thicker and darker and sourer. This tamarind cooking sauce is lighter and is sometimes sold as Sour Soup Base Mix in Asian stores.

Ingredients
14 oz. Extra Firm Tofu

For the marinade:
4 Tbsp nước me chua Tamarind cooking sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp salt (more if preferred; or use 1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil or sesame oil

For the seasoning/flavoring:
2 Tbsp Sesame Black Pepper Spice Mix
salt to taste
water as needed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Vegetables:
Italian green beans
Baby Lima beans
Zucchini
Carrots
Or any other favorite combination

Preparation

1. Drain and pat dry the tofu to remove excess water; slice into 1-inch thick pieces and marinate for about 10-15 minutes while getting the vegetables ready
2. Heat a pan as if for stir-frying, add the diced marinated tofu in a single layer (marinade and all), and pan-cook till browned to your liking, turning as often as needed to get even browning on all sides; remove from pan
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil and saute the vegetables with the spice mix and salt as needed; add water, cover and cook till vegetables are cooked yet crunchy
4. Top the vegetables with the tofu, garnish with cilantro, scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and serve warm

Baked Tofu in Fig Sauce

Marinated firm tofu can be pan-fried or baked ahead of time and stored in the fridge. It comes in handy to add to stir-frys and soups for a weeknight meal, or can be simmered in some favorite sauce and served over rice.

In this recipe, marinated baked tofu is simmered in fig sauce, with caramelized onions. I prefer firm or extra firm tofu as it has a solid structure and doesn't fall apart in cooking. Use any favorite store-bought marinade, or curry paste or hot sauce, or just make one up with favorite flavors like I usually do.

The chewy texture from baking, and the infused flavors from marinating makes this a meal in itself. To enjoy as-is, I prefer as little of the sauce as possible, but over steamed brown rice, the rich flavors of the sauce is delicious.

Ingredients:
1 lb Firm Tofu (I like the local brand manufactured by Pacific NW - has a large Panda picture on top)
Marinade: balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, sambal oelek - a tablespoon or so each, mixed
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
Cremini mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 Tbsp sesame oil


For the sauce:
4 dry figs, chopped finely
6 small dark raisins (optional)
1 Tbsp home-made red curry paste
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
1 Tbsp tamarind juice (adjust to taste, it can be quite tart depending on the brand)
salt to taste
water as needed

Preparation

1. Slice the big tofu block into 3/4-inch thick rectangular slabs/slices, and marinate the tofu slabs for an hour (or up to overnight in the fridge)
2. Pre-heat the oven to 400° F and bake the tofu slabs/slices for 25 minutes, flip over and continue to bake another 25 minutes
3. For the fig sauce: Combine the sauce ingredients and grind to a fine smooth paste
4. Heat the oil in a pan and sautée the onions till caramelized
5. Cut the baked tofu into cubes
6. Add the sauce paste, enough water, salt as needed, tofu cubes, and allow to simmer till sauce thickens 
7. Adjust flavors to taste, garnish with chopped dry or fresh figs, cilantro, spring onions

Mutter Tofu Curry

This is an adaptation of my favorite North Indian style curry called Mutter-Paneer which is basically Peas (Mutter) and Fried Paneer in a delicious gravy.

About once a month or so, I get a large batch of extra firm tofu, marinate, bake or pan-fry, and store it in the fridge/freezer for use over the next few weeks.

For a quick curry, it is nice to use ready-made pastes: I like Patak's Tikka Masala paste, Vindaloo Curry paste, Biriyani paste, and Rogan Josh paste. But, it is just as easy to create my own paste with whatever is handy.

Ingredients
6 cups frozen peas
1 can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped finely
cilantro, spring onions for garnish
salt to taste
1-2 tsp brown sugar, adjust to taste

For the sauce/gravy:
dry toasting:
1 Tbsp white poppy seeds
1 star anise
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
2 Tbsp fennel seeds
1-2 indian bay leaves
2 2" piece of chinese/indian cinnamon bark
Plus:
1-2 jalapenos or serrano
1" piece ginger, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil

Preparation

1. For Curry/Sauce/Gravy:Dry toast the sauce/gravy spices, then grind them to fine powder, set aside
2. Combine the rest of the sauce ingredients and grind to a fine paste
3. Heat oil in a pan, sauté the ground paste till rawness subsides, then add the chopped onions, peas, tomatoes, some salt, water and the powdered spices, simmer over medium-low heat
4. When peas are cooked through but not mushy, drop in the baked or pan-fried tofu and simmer to desired consistency, adjust flavors
5. Garnish with cilantro, chopped spring onions and serve warm with naan, bathura or even plain basmati rice

Tofu Curry

I love Paneer and this recipe is based on my favorite shahi-paneer curry (a rich, delicious Mughalai curry).

But, since paneer is rather rich, and since I like tofu and have been incorporating soy a lot more in my diet, this simple curry here features tofu instead of paneer. I vary the masala paste each time I make it, just to keep it interesting. This here is one of my favorite versions.

I use firm tofu for this, but extra firm tofu will be just as good. If using tofu blocks, carefully cut them into cubes and slide them into the simmering curry/gravy and do not stir, just cover and allow to simmer down, else it easily falls apart.

Ingredients
1 pkg firm (or extra firm) tofu
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish
salt to taste
½ cup evaporated milk or half-and-half, as needed (or water)

Masala/Gravy Mix:
1 medium yellow onion,diced
2-3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup fresh mint leaves
4 cloves of garlic
2" piece of fresh ginger
3 Tbsp coriander seeds
2 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
3 dry red chilies (more if you like the heat)
2 indian bay leaves
2 2" chinese cinnamon bark(Cinnamomum cassia(L.) Presl)
1 star anise
3-4 cloves

Preparation

1. Toast the coriander, cumin, poppy seeds along with peppercorn, mint leaves and dry red chilies, allow to cool a bit
2. When cool to the touch, combine the toasted spices with the rest of the Masala/Gravy ingredients and grind to a fine paste
3. Heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil in a pan, add the ground masala paste, a pinch of salt, evaporated milk if using, stir well, cover, and allow to come to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat; stir in brown sugar and lemon juice
4. Slide in the tofu cubes carefully, and immerse them in the gravy, or scoop and pour the gravy/curry over the tofu, cover and cook till the gravy reduces and thickens a bit
5. Garnish with cilantro or mint or spring onions and serve warm with jasmine rice or roti

Tom Yum Goong (Vegetarian)

Soups are the easiest to make and heartiest to enjoy, don't you think? I make several quick Asian soups that are just my version, suited to D's and my tastes, like hot and sour, sweet and sour, and some Thai soups as the one here - nothing spectacular, just tasty and filling.

As with most of my recipes, this is just my version of Tom Yum Goong, not entirely authentic. As I am a bit too lazy and impulsive to hunt for all the authentic ingredients and follow a traditional recipe, I usually end up making suitable substitutions and adjusting it to my tastes - I am not fond of fish paste or shrimp paste, so, I usually leave it out in my Asian recipes.

If fresh lemongrass stalks are not handy, I usually substitute with lemongrass powder, which I always try to have in my stash of spice powders. If using fresh lemongrass, pound or coarsely grind the bottom part of it, and boil the top part in the soup for added flavor. Dried galanga is nice to have, just reconstitute in water; but, mostly I substitute regular ginger as it is more readily available.

Depending on my mood, I vary the balance of the various spices in this recipe, so this version here is just a suggestion... flavors can easily be adjusted to taste while cooking.

This is yet another dish that is low-carb and low-fat that fits in with D's new diet plan, and mine, of course... I try to make it less spicy first and reserve some of the soup for Ana, then adjust flavors to my preference. I stir in a bit of cooked rice into Ana's soup so she gets more carbs and I also toss in some peanuts for proteins and fats as she needs it at her tender 2¾ age :)
[No, I am not really a nutritionist, nor do I want to pretend to be one, but, I like to stay informed and make sure we know what we ingest on a regular basis].

Ingredients
for the soup base:
1 Tbsp lemongrass powder OR 2 large stalks of fresh lemon grass
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
¼ medium onion, diced (or equivalent shallots, if handy)
2-4 serrano chilies (or any kind whose heat you prefer and can enjoy)
1 tsp tamarind paste (or 2 Tbsp lemon juice)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
3-4 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp Nam Prik Pow paste (optional)
1 Tbsp soybean oil or canola oil

vegetables: bell peppers, mushroom, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, potatoes
½ pkg firm Tofu, cubed
4-6 cups of vegetable stock (or equivalent bullion cubes and water)
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup light coconut milk (optional)

garnish: spring onions and coriander

Preparation

1. combine the soup base ingredients and grind to a fine paste
2. heat the canola oil in a pan, add the soup base and sauté a bit till aromatic and rawness fades
3. add the stock, tofu and vegetables, cover and cook till vegetables are cooked but not mushy
4. stir in the coconut milk, if using, and simmer for a few minutes
5. taste and adjust flavors - add more chili paste if too bland, or more tamarind paste if not tangy enough
6. garnish as desired and serve hot

Eggplant Tofu Curry with Brown Rice

It is no secret that eggplant is one of my favorites...

This meal here is nothing earth-shattering, but, is simple, wholesome and satisfying. Eggplant and tofu is cooked together with some onions, celery, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, salt and a touch of sambal oelek for the spiciness. Brown rice is cooked with some vegetable (or chicken) stock and water.

Blend some of the ginger, garlic, tomatoes, celery to a fine paste to make a thicker gravy-like consistency for the curry base. Use the rest of them chopped in the curry. Simmer together with favorite seasoning. Serve warm with brown rice or wild rice.

Mapo Tofu Sauce

Usually, I make up the sauce for my dishes depending on ingredients that are handy in my kitchen, and depending on my mood.

A while back, I came across packaged Mapo/Mabo tofu sauce at FuBonn supermarket and was going through the list of ingredients when I decided to try and make my own version of it at home...

It was interesting to find this bit of trivia about this dish: A famous Szechuan recipe - the name Ma Po Tofu is roughly translated as "pockmarked grandmother beancurd," named for the old woman who supposedly invented the dish.

Anyway, so, as usual, this is a fairly loose adaptation and I lay no claims to authenticity - it is a fusion of Japanese and Chinese flavors - but, it turned out quite tasty with the things I threw together that I decided to make a note of it for future reference :)

Ingredients
1 pkg extra firm tofu, diced
sliced red and green chilies for garnish
sliced spring onion for garnish
1-2 tsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
water
for the sauce:
2 Tbsp black bean chili paste
3 Tbsp sambal oelek
3 Tbsp sake
1 Tbsp red miso paste
1 Tbsp crushed Japanese dry red peppers (or Szechuan peppers)
4 Tbsp light soy sauce
½ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder (optional)
1 Tbsp Agave nectar (optional)

Preparation

1. in a pan or wok add all the sauce ingredients plus some water as needed and bring to a gentle simmer
2. if sauce is too runny, dissolve the corn starch in a few tablespoons of water and gently stir it in to thicken
3. gently slide in the diced tofu and let it simmer some more
4. taste and adjust flavors
5. garnish with spring onions and sliced fresh hot chilies

zen meal three

Eggplant and tofu seem to go well together, especially with asian flavors. Zen meal two was very satisfying a while back. And I wanted to make another simple wholesome meal.

Collard greens is a favorite, usually cooked up as y'abesha gomen, served with injera. This time, i wanted to keep it light and simple.

This recipe is open for variations with flavors. My flavor sauce is only one suggestion.



Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh collard greens or mustard greens, chopped
salt to taste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional)

1 Chinese long eggplant, cubed
½ pkt firm tofu, cubed
1 small bundle soba noodles
1 Tbsp canola oil

Flavoring sauce:
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (or sushi vinegar)
1 tsp kecap manis (or ketchup, or just brown sugar)
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
½ Tbsp whole black pepper, crushed
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

1. combine the flavoring sauce ingredients, stir well, set aside
2. cook the soba noodles per package directions, rinse in cold water, drain well; add a little of the flavoring sauce and let the noodles steep in it for a while
3. steam the mustard or collard greens with some salt; off heat, stir in some lemon juice and a dash of Tabasco sauce; adjust to taste
   
4. heat oil in a pan, add the tofu and some flavoring sauce, pan fry it turning the tofu cubes often to cook all sides; remove from pan and set aside
5. add the eggplant and some flavoring sauce, some water, cover and cook till eggplant is tender and done
6. assemble the tofu, eggplant and soba in a serving plate, serve the greens on the side
   

Thai Green Curry

Thai curries usually turn out delicious even if I leave out fish paste and shrimp paste and such from my recipes. I have managed to find dried galangal and kaffir lime leaves on and off, but, even if i don't have them handy, this green curry recipe turns out quite to my liking.

Ingredients
Vegetables of choice, cut into chunks
½ pkt extra firm tofu, cubed
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 14oz can coconut milk
salt to taste
2 Tbsp lime juice

for garnish:
spring onions chopped
cilantro chopped


green curry paste:
1 cup chopped cilantro
3-4 serranos or jalapenos, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped galangal or fresh ginger
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 medium shallots, chopped
¼ cup finely chopped lemongrass
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1-2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
1 tsp lime zest (optional)
½ tsp turmeric powder

Preparation:

1. combine the curry paste ingredients in a blender or food processor and grind to a fine paste
2. heat oil in a pan, add the green curry paste and sauté over medium heat till oil separates and the paste is aromatic and darker green
3. add the tofu, vegetables, some salt and sauté a bit; add a little water, cover and let the vegetables cook till done, not mushy
4. add the coconut milk, brown sugar, adjust salt to taste and simmer till flavors meld and the curry feels rich; add water to make the curry thin, if desired
   
5. off heat, stir in lime juice, garnish with cilantro and spring onions; serve warm with jasmine rice, or basmati rice
   

soba with eggplant and tofu

Buckwheat soba, served warm or cold, is a meal we relish at home. Sometimes, it is Japanese style, served cold, with dipping sauce on the side; sometimes, it is warm/hot with thai-inspired flavoring sauce and veggies stirred in. This soba recipe is sort of in-between - served at about room temperature:-)

I love eggplant, and try to incorporate it many dishes I make.

As I am a bit sensitive to fish paste, shrimp paste, bonito flakes, kezuri-bushi and such, my asian recipes are not quite authentic. My miso soup barely has a touch of dashi-no-moto. But, I do enjoy a lot of the other non-sea-food-based asian flavors.

Ingredients
½ pkt extra firm tofu, diced (or pan-fried tofu, if handy)
1 medium eggplant, diced
1 bunch spring onions, chopped, for garnish (optional)
1-2 bundles soba noodles
1 Tbsp canola oil (or sesame oil)
flavoring:
1 tsp shichimi togarashi, if handy, or, sambal oelek, or just red pepper flakes
¼ cup mirin
½ cup shoyu, or light soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp sushi vinegar (or rice vinegar, if you like the pungency)

Preparation:

1. combine the flavoring ingredients, stir well, set aside
2. cook soba per package directions to al-dente, drain, run under cold water, drain well
   
3. in a shallow bowl, add the cooked soba and pour just enough of the flavoring sauce to coat it well; set aside
   
4. heat oil in a pan, add the diced tofu and some flavoring sauce and pan-fry the tofu turning often to brown all sides; remove from pan, set aside
5. in the same pan, add the eggplant and more flavoring sauce and cook the eggplant till done
   
6. with chopsticks or fork, gather some soba that has been soaking in the flavor sauce and make a bed of it on a serving plate
7. top with tofu and eggplant; garnish with spring onions; serve any remaining sauce on the side
   

Ginger Tofu Eggplant

Combination of eggplant and tofu, with ginger and garlic is quite heavenly.

Pan-fried or baked tofu, infused with flavors from marinating overnight, makes a great addition to simple vegetable dishes. It can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for a little longer.  I like the Extra Firm tofu and bake it so the texture gets chewy and firm.

Marinate the tofu cubes in a simple ginger-soy sauce-chili marinade and leave it in the fridge overnight. Bake in a 375°F oven for about 10-12 minutes.

Ingredients:
1/2 large globe eggplant, cut into fairly big cubes
8 to 10 cubes of pan-fried marinated tofu
1 cup coarsely chopped spring onions
1 Tbsp fresh grated (or julienned) ginger
2 to 4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp oil

1 tsp cornstarch + water as needed for thickening the sauce

garnish:
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish
3 Tbsp finely chopped spring onions for garnish
2 tsp sesame seeds (toasted, if preferred)

ginger-soy-sesame sauce:
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
4 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
2 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you prefer)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp sesame seeds (toasted, if preferred)
1 finely chopped green chili (optional)
1 Tbsp black bean paste (optional)

Preparation:

1. Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside
2. Heat oil in a wok or pan, add the garlic, ginger, saute briefly, then add the eggplant chunks and crushed red pepper
3. Add the sauce and stir well to coat and cook till eggplant is almost done - cooked through but not mushy; add the pan fried tofu chunks and toss it around a bit till sauce is well incorporated and eggplant is done; thicken with corn starch if the sauce is too runny
4. Garnish with chopped sesame seeds, spring onions and cilantro; serve warm with steamed rice

Marinated Pan-fried Tofu

This is a versatile ingredient in many of my favorite dishes that I decided to dedicate one post to it entirely.

I like Extra Firm tofu for this; the size of the chunks and the marinade depends on my mood and the dish I want to use them in; I usually make a few batches of marinade and reserve some for later use or to be used as sauce as in ginger-soy-eggplant-tofu dish

Here are a couple of options:

ginger-soy-sesame marinade:
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
4 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
2 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you prefer)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp sesame seeds (toasted, if preferred)
1 finely chopped green chili
1 Tbsp black bean paste (optional)


red-chili-soy-sesame-oil:
3 Tbsp red chili paste (or sambal oelek)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp mirin

Preparation

1. cut the tofu into chunks and marinate for 10-15 minutes, if desired
2. alternately, add the marinade and refrigerate it overnight or for about 8 hrs - shake it once or twice to spread the marinade around
3. heat about 2 Tbsp oil in a pan, place the tofu cubes without crowding the pan too much, leave heat in medium and pan fry till sides turn brown - turning the tofu chunks as needed so they are evenly fried on all sides
4. pan-fried tofu refrigerates well - lasts about 4-5 days, but freezes fine too - lasts about a month or so (i've not stored it longer than that, so am not sure if it will last longer...)
5. toss it with noodles or in ginger-soy-eggplant-tofu dish

Kamo Aubergine and Tofu

I love aubergine (aka brinjal, eggplant). As I only had tofu and half a can of coconut milk at home, I decided to make this dish a few days ago: our garden is yielding at least 3 varieties of aubergines this year, and lots of super chilies and some not-too-bad cilantro, so I try to come up with recipes to use the fresh veggies from the garden...

This is sort of inspired by Malaysian cuisine...

Ingredients

1 aubergine - about 4" in diameter and about 3-4" tall (i used kamo variety from my garden)
1/2 package of extra firm tofu
3 green chilies
1/2 medium yellow onion
2 Tbsp of chopped cilantro for garnish
soy sauce
worcestershire sauce
black bean paste (optional)
5-6 garlic cloves
2 inch piece of giner
3-4 dry red chilies
sambal oelek (if have it handy)
5 Tbsp coconut milk (optional)
4 Tbsp oil

Preparation

1. if you have a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, ginger, dry red chilies to a paste and set aside; else, just blend it coarsely
2. dice the tofu and aubergine; slice the onions finely
3. heat oil in a pan, add the tofu cubes and 1Tbsp black bean paste and 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp worcestershire sauce and sautee the tofu cubes till brown, turning the cubes over as needed; take the tofu out of the pan and set aside
4. in the same pan, add the onions and ginger-garlic-dry red chili paste and sautee till it turns translucent; add a little more oil if needed for sauteeing
5. add aubergine cubes and sautee them in the same pan
6. when aubergines look paritally cooked, add the coconut milk, if using it
7. add 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp worcestershire sauce and some water so the dish is not too dry
8. add sambal oelek, if using it
9. let it cook till aubergine is not raw anymore and still firm, not mushy
10. stir in the sauteed tofu and let it simmer together for a minute or so
11. garnish with fresh green chilies (slit open or chopped fine) and some cilantro
12. serve with nasi lemak (cooked rice in coconut milk) and sambal oelek on the side as in photo below; or just have it with plain steamed rice, or even roti or naan.