Curried Tofu is a popular vegetarian dish, and I have no own slant on it. So, here it is, my version of tofu (bean curd) in a curry sauce, Let me add you can double the recipe and serve a whole load of people, I normally serve it with steamed rice. Although I’ve also tried it with pasta and other grains such as quinoa and couscous, and it’s just as good. It’s a perfect dish, even in  summer, with a chilled dry white wine or a good ale or beer.

As noted in prior posts, it is recommended that tofu be pressed before cooking. Why? Pressing the tofu compresses it and squeezes out extra moisture, making it firmer and drier when cooking giving you a close grained interior and a crisp exterior. You do not want shredded tofu in your pan. Pressing mitigates that. So, how do you press tofu, especially if you don’t want or own a fandangle tofu press?  Simple: place tofu block on a plate;  then place a few folded sheets of paper towels underneath and a few on top. Finally, place a heavy skillet or pot on top. Fill the skillet or pot with something heavy such as a jar of sugar, a bag of flour, a few cans, books, etc.  You can press the tofu for 30 minutes or, ideally, up to one hour.  After the tofu has been pressed, remove the skillet and its contents and discard the paper towels. Cut the tofu into whatever size is desired and proceed with your recipe.

CURRIED TOFU

Ingredients:

1 16-oz. package extra firm tofu
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth or bouillon
1 small onion, peeled and sliced in thin rings
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons green scallions, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Rinse tofu under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.  Do the pressing ritual as described above and cut tofu into cubes, about ½-inch thick or to your liking.
  2.  Melt butter in a wok or heavy skillet. Add flour and blend well over low heat,
  3.  Stir in chicken broth and blend with a fork or wire whisk until you have a smooth sauce as it cooks. Bring slowly to a boiling point and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Add onion and mix it in with the sauce.
  5.  Stir in curry and ground ginger. Mix well. You can season highly to taste adding more curry if desired.
  6.  Stir in tofu until it totally combines with sauce.
  7.  Sprinkle with scallions and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.