This dish was a delightful accident. I have been experimenting with ways to make tofu more crunchy and pack a little more flavor. The challenge with tofu is that it tends not to fry nicely, and it has a subtle taste that can be a deterrent. So let’s get started…
Crunchy Tofu:
Ingredients:
- 16 oz Extra firm tofu
- 1 cup of chickpea flour
- 1/2 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon of garam masala
- 3-4 curry leaves
- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/2 tablespoon of turmeric
To prepare the tofu, please remove it from the container and rinse it off. Then apply pressure to the tofu to remove any excess water. Usually, I prefer to cut up my tofu in cubes, but I wanted to try tearing apart the tofu into medium-sized blocks, approximately 1 – 1.5 inch blocks. It’s not an exact measurement, but it is better to have the pieces around 1 – 1.5 in to cook evenly.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and thoroughly mix the ingredients together. The nice thing about tofu is that it retains moisture, making it very easy to coat with the dry mix. Oddly, enough I found it quite relaxing to apply batter to each piece of tofu.
Now that the tofu is prepped add some 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a wok or frying pan. Once it is to temperature, place 3-4 curry leaves for flavor, and then add the tofu. Growing up, my mom always showed me to fry using the least amount of oil possible. The amount of oil on the pan is enough to fry the surfaces but not enough that there is a lot of oil. As each side becomes crispy, rotate the tofu to ensure that each surface becomes golden brown.
The nice thing about coating tofu with chickpea flour (or any flour) is that it quickly becomes crispy on the outside while maintaining a nice texture on the inside. Once the tofu looks golden brown, place each piece on a paper towel to sop up any excess oil. Alternatively, if you prefer not to use paper towels, place the tofu in a colander in the sink, and any excess oil will seep out.
Now that the tofu is done, on to the next step!
Creamy Coconut Sauce
Ingredients:
- 22 oz of firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
- 3-4 curry leaves
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 3-5 tablespoons of sambal oelek
- 1 tablespoon of ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce
- salt to taste
Start by adding 1 tbsp of coconut oil to a hot pan, then add your curry leaves and dry spices to infuse into the oil. If you would like the dish to be a little spicier, you can add some garam masala to the mix. The next step is to add coconut milk. It tends to work better if the coconut milk is simmering, leaving the heat at medium to low. Lastly, add the tomato sauce and mix. As the sauce is simmering, taste it to see if it has a creamy and mildly spicy flavor. If it does, then you are on the money. With the tofu being spicy, it is best not to add more heat to the mix. The last step is to add the tofu.
The only thing left to do is plate the crunchy and spicy coconut tofu with quinoa or brown rice and you have a perfect meal.
