Tofu Vindaloo
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| the best ever Tofu Vindaloo |
the best ever Tofu Vindaloo: We live in Brooklyn: home of more quality ethnic cuisines than any one person could ever eat in a lifetime. Most cuisines offer several options for vegans, ranging from traditional bean burritos and avocado sushi to Senegalese tofu dishes. We have quite a few good Indian restaurants that deliver—so when we made the choice to stop ordering takeout, Indian food was one of the first things we started to miss. This recipe is actually left over from when we lived in Virginia and good Indian food was something we had to make for ourselves. We haven’t been to India yet, so I can’t say this is an authentic vindaloo recipe. But I can promise it’s good by Brooklyn standards. Plus, it has peas, and I love peas.
I recommend a nice root beer to go with it, too. It seems like an odd combo, but I really like it.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
$2.25 PER SERVING
Ingredients for Tofu Vindaloo recipe
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 (16-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
Sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard seed
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on how hot you like it)
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ large sweet onion, chopped
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup cooked cut green beans
- 3 Campari tomatoes, quartered
- 2 cups brown rice, cooked
How to make Tofu Vindaloo ?
Spray a cast-iron skillet with a heavy coating of olive oil cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Carefully place your tofu pieces in the skillet so they don’t overlap or touch too much. Brown the tofu for 3 to 5 minutes or until the edges are a very light golden brown, then flip with a metal spatula and brown the other side. If any edges stick, use the metal spatula to scrape them off—they’ll make crunchy, yummy bits that will be delicious in your curry.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: Whisk together the olive oil, ginger paste, tomato paste, garlic, cardamom, coriander, cumin, turmeric, onion powder, mustard seed, cayenne, cinnamon, and paprika until creamy.
After you’ve flipped the tofu once, pour the sauce over the tofu in the hot skillet and reduce the heat to low. Toss in the onion and use a spatula to mix all the ingredients together. Simmer until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally. If the sauce reduces while it simmers, you can add a little bit of water and more oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you are happy with the consistency. Once the onions are tender, mix in the peas, green beans, and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Serve hot over rice.
CARDAMOM
You might already have some neglected cardamom hanging out on your spice rack. There are a lot of different kinds, but the most common is ground green cardamom. It’s a multitalented spice that goes with everything from turmeric to vanilla. If you’re looking for other recipes in which to use cardamom, we recommend you check out the Spiced Pear Cupcakes with Maple Frosting, Mezze Platter, or White Wedding Cupcakes.
