It has been a dull week in the kitchen, mostly doing everything on auto-pilot without much inspiration and enthusiasm. Usually, when this happens, afterwards, I explode into an enthusiastic, creative burst of new ideas and newfound courage to try different things in the kitchen. This curry was the result. I have also been taking the time to sit in the garden, not working in it, not seeing what needs to be done. Just sitting and admiring its beauty in contemplative silence.
The tofu I use is home-made, but you can use store-bought as well. The recipe from where the inspiration came used paneer and cream. You can experiment with this dish in many ways. Make the gravy richer by adding soaked cashews ground to a paste, or use different coloured peppers to add a splash of colour.
The other big secret is obtaining the freshest garam masala powder. You could try it in an Indian store or, ideally, make your own, here. If you don’t have garam masala, replace it with rasam powder.
tofu capsicum subzi
Serves 2
Recipe inspired from here.
ingredients
1 cup tofu/panner – cut into 1 cm cubes
3 Tbsp ghee/oil – divided
½ full tsp cumin seeds
⅛ tsp asafoetida powder
1 big capsicum (green or red bell pepper) – chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
2 medium tomato, pureed/2 Tbsp tomato paste mixed with ¼ cup water
¼ cup water/ cream (optional)
¼ – ½ tsp red chilli powder or less, depending on your level of spice
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ full tsp home-made garam masala powder (can replace with 1 full tsp rasam powder)
1 tsp salt
preparation
1. Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, add the tofu, and brown lightly on all sides – set aside on a paper towel.
2. Heat the remaining ghee and add cumin and asafoetida; when the cumin seeds start to darken, add the capsicum and tomato, cover and allow the mixture to cook until tender but not overcooked. Keep stirring in between to avoid charring.
3. Add the tomato puree and mix well – bring to boil.
4. Pour in the water/cream (if needed) and add chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and tofu*, stir well – simmer for 5 minutes more on low heat.
Serve with rice, chapati and a simple yellow dal with green beans and cabbage.
*If using paneer, do not cook for more than 5 minutes, otherwise, it will become hard.
Goodness shared by Stacey
Added note from Donna: I made this last night. Very tasty, Stace. As I like my dishes leaning towards the milder spicy version, I would only add ½ tsp chilli powder next time. Now that I am back home and settled into a routine, I will post the next dish.
