It has been a dull week in the kitchen, mostly doing everything on auto-pilot without much inspiration and enthusiasm.  Usually, when this happens, after I explode in 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.

I use homemade tofu, but store-bought works as well. The original recipe used paneer and cream, but you can experiment with different variations. You can make the gravy richer by adding soaked cashews ground to a paste or using different-coloured peppers for a splash of colour.

Another key is using the freshest garam masala powder. You can find it at an Indian store or, ideally, make your own. If you don’t have garam masala, you can replace it with rasam powder.

tofu capsicum subzi

serves 2

Recipe inspired from here.

ingredients 

1 cup homemade tofu or paneer – cut into 1 cm cubes

3 Tbsp ghee or 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 or 2 Tbsp tomato paste mixed with ¼ cup water

¼ cup water or 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 garam masala powder (can be replaced with one full tsp rasam powder)

1 tsp salt

preparation 

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons 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 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 a boil.
  4. Pour in the water/cream (if needed) and add the chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, salt, and tofu*. Stir well, and simmer for 5 minutes more on low heat.

Serve with rice, chapati and a simple yellow dal with green beans and cabbage.

tip

*If using paneer, do not cook for more than 5 minutes; otherwise, it will become hard.

Goodness shared from 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.”