Tag Archives: tofu

Spicy Szechuan Eggplant with Tofu

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I am on a mission to make myself like eggplant. Many of you on twitter and facebook helped me with your amazing eggplant recipe suggestions to make me like it! I am now trying every method possible (except deep frying!) – grilled eggplant, sautéed eggplant, baked eggplant, stir fried eggplant..and I’m pleased to inform you, I loved the eggplant in this vegan Chinese Szechuan eggplant and tofu recipe!

My dear friend and incredibly talented food blogger, Xiaolu of 6bittersweets blog took me on a tour of a local Chinese grocery store. She showed me some amazing and exotic ingredients that I can’t wait to try! I picked up the chili bean sauce, black vinegar, and Szechuan pepper used in this recipe during my Chinese grocery store visit.

The basic idea for this dish comes from Fuchsia Dunlops  book ‘Land of Plenty’. And because Xiaolu has such a passion for food (you DO read her blog don’t you?!), I consulted with her to perfect this vegan Chinese eggplant and tofu recipe.

This recipe does take a bit of time to make, but it is so worth the effort. It tastes like something you’d get at a Szechuan restaurant.You can easily use any combination of vegetables you like for this dish – broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, or zucchini along with seitan, tempeh or paneer.

Short cuts and substitutions

Instead of pressing and then pan frying your own tofu, buy pre-baked or pre fried tofu in the grocery store
Use store bought paneer cubes instead of the tofu, and lightly pan fry them
Use balsamic vinegar instead of the Chinese black vinegar (it doesn’t taste the same, but it’s the closest substitute for Chinese black vinegar I can think of)
Use regular black pepper corns instead of Szechuan peppercorns

To salt or not to salt an eggplant before cooking? See this post.

 

More delicious vegetarian and vegan Szechuan Chinese eggplant and tofu recipes

Vegetarian Szechuan eggplant recipe on Weird Combinations
Vegan Szechuan eggplant recipe with beansprouts on No Meat Zone Recipes
Szechuan tofu stri fry recipe  on Eating Well
Szechuan garlic eggplant and tofu recipe on Hypokrtical

I molded the rice using this cute rice mold I got as a gift.

Szechuan Tofu and Eggplant Recipe

adapted from Fuchsia Dunlop’s Land of Plenty
serves about 3 with rice

For the tofu
One 14 oz pack of extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, optional

For the eggplant
1 lb purple or Asian eggplant, cut into ¾ inch cubes
1 tablespoon oil

For the szechuan sauce
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns lightly roasted in a dry skillet, and then crushed in a mortar and pestle. Substitute with regular black peppercorns. Use less if you dont want it spicy.
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar. Substitute with cider vinegar or balsamic
1/2 cup water

½ tablespoon oil
1-3 tablespoon black bean chili sauce (this sauce is very spicy! Start with 1 tablespoon, taste and add more at the end of cooking if needed) update: I used “guizhou black bean chili sauce”, the brand is Lee Kum Kee. Whatever brand you buy, make sure the ingredients include fermented black beans and chili peppers.

2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
5 scallions/green onions, chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoon sesame oil, optional

press the tofu
Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Place several layers of paper towels on a table. Place the drained tofu in the middle of the paper towels. Wrap the towels firmly, but without breaking the tofu, around the tofu block (like a gift wrap). Wrap this in an absorbent kitchen towel. Place a plate over the tofu parcel. Put something heavy (like a few cans of beans) on top of the plate. Let the tofu sit with the weights on top for about 4 hours (longer won’t hurt).

cook the eggplant
In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil. Add the eggplant cubes in a single layer, without crowding. Fry the eggplant cubes on high heat till they are golden, about 3 minutes for american purple eggplants. The eggplant doesnt have to be fully cooked, just browned on the outside. Flip the eggplant pieces and brown the other side. Make sure the eggplant cubes are in a single layer, so they brown quickly. Don’t over-crowd the pan. Do this in batches if needed.

Set the eggplant aside on a plate.

make the tofu
Cut the compressed tofu into ¾ inch cubes

Wipe the skillet clean. Turn heat to medium. Arrange the tofu cubes in a single layer on the skillet. I don’t use oil for the tofu, but you can use 1 tablespoon of oil if you like. Cook tofu on medium heat. Don’t move around or disturb the tofu cubes while cooking. When brown on one side (about 12 minutes), flip the tofu cubes and brown the other side. When the tofu is light brown on all sides, remove it and place it in a plate.

(If you don’t want to pan fry the tofu, toss pressed tofu it in ½ tablespoon oil, spread the tofu cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake it in a 375f oven for about 40 minutes or till the tofu is golden, and slightly chewy).

make the Szechuan sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, Szechuan pepper, vinegar and water. Keep the bowl at hands reach.

Heat a large wok with oil on high heat. Carefully add the chili bean sauce, ginger and garlic, and stir for 30 seconds. The chili bean sauce may give out fumes, so stand back. Take care not to burn it.

Remove the wok from heat. Extend your arm with the wok, so that nothing splashes on you. Now carefully pour in the whisked ingredients.

Return wok to the stove. Immediately add the scallions/green onions, eggplant, tofu, and 1/2 cup water. Toss gently and cook on high for 5 minutes or till the eggplant has softened but is not mushy. Add more water if the dish is too dry. Taste the dish and add more chili bean sauce if you like.

Drizzle sesame oil, if using.

Serve with steamed rice or wheat tortillas and extra soy sauce and chili bean sauce on the side

Baked Tofu Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

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This is an easy, vegan thanksgiving main dish. The baked tofu is flavorful and chewy. And the vegan mushroom gravy has great meatiness, making this a very satisfying dish overall. Serve this thanksgiving entrée with some stuffing, and few vegetable side dishes.

I like to insert a few thin slices of garlic into the tofu before baking. I enjoy the little bits of garlic in the tofu. You could do this with carrots or celery as well, or just leave this step out.

I love chanterelle mushrooms and always use them in gravy. They have a nice meaty texture, and chicken like flavor. You could use a mix of whatever mushrooms you like. I’ve used buttom mushrooms, criminis, shiitakes and chanterelles.

The mushroom gravy with thyme and sage goes really well with the chewy baked tofu. You could easily make the gravy the previous day and re-heat it in the microwave. You could also marinate the tofu the previous day (flavor will be stronger), and throw it in the oven about an hour before you eat.

Some great baked tofu recipes..

Baked tofu recipe on Fat free vegan
Baked tofu recipe on the kitchn
Kalyn’s baked tofu recipe with soy and sesame
Simple baked tofu recipe on Vegweb
Smokey miso baked tofu recipe on vegan yumyum

Some great mushroom gravy recipes..

Mushroom gravy recipe on Epicurious

Martha Stewart’s vegetarian mushroom gravy recipe
Home brew chef’s wild mushroom gravy recipe using beer
Vegan mushroom gravy recipe on what do I know blog

Baked tofu steaks and Mushroom gravy recipe

serves about 2

One 14 oz block extra firm tofu, drained
1 tiny garlic clove, peeled

For the marinade
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
A pinch of dried Italian seasoning or poultry seasoning, optional
Cracked black pepper

Cut the tofu vertically in half. Then cut each half widthwise into two pieces. You will have 4 tofu pieces. Using a kitchen towel, pat the tofu pieces to absorb as much moisture as you can.

Make 2 small slits on top of each tofu piece. Thinly slice the garlic clove into 8 slices. Insert one slice of garlic into each slit on the tofu. Skip this step if you don’t like garlic.

Whisk together all marinade ingredients and pour into a dish. Place the tofu slices in the dish with the marinade. Carefully flip the tofu pieces so they are covered all over by the marinade. Let the tofu marinade for about 15 minutes.

Pre heat oven to 350f

Remove the tofu pieces from the marinade and place on a non-stick baking dish. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, flipping the tofu pieces every 20 minutes. Cooking times will vary depending on your oven and thickness of tofu slices.

Tofu is done when it is firm and browned all over.

Mushroom gravy with thyme and sage

makes about 3 cups

12oz  fresh mushrooms (a mix of white, crimini, shiitake, chanterelle etc)
2 tablespoons olive oil, butter or margarine
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 large sage leaves, chopped
3 splashes sherry or red wine

For gravy
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups vegetable stock or water (I used water)
2 tablespoons flour
Salt & pepper

Clean the mushrooms using a paper towel. Then slice them into even sized pieces. If using shiitakes, remember to remove and discard the stems.

Heat oil, butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add onions and cook on medium-low. When onions are soft, add garlic, thyme and sage. Stir for 30 seconds. Add chopped mushrooms. Increase heat to high and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the sherry or wine and continue cooking another minute or till the alcohol evaporates.

Whisk together all the gravy ingredients (balsamic vinegar through salt and pepper). Make sure there are no lumps. Pour this mixture over the mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar if needed.

Brazilian Style Black Bean and Smoked Tofu Stew (Vegan Feijoada)

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Feijoada is a popular Brazilian stew of cured meats and black beans. This Brazilian national dish relies heavily on meat for flavor and texture. In my vegan version of Feijoada, I add smoked tofu instead of the meats and use paprika and cumin for extra flavor. I admit this is not an authentic Brazilian dish, but it is certainly tasty and filling. Serve with rice or chipotle corn bread on a chilly night.

If you cant find smoked tofu, just use regular, firm tofu and add a few drops of liquid smoke to your stew. If you don’t want to use tofu for whatever reason, substitute it with another kind of bean (kidney beans or white beans), or TVP or tempeh, or store bought veggie crumbles (like Morningstar). Check out this Brazilian black bean stew with sweet potatoes on Allrecipes. Martha Stewart has a Cuban black bean stew. Vegkitchen features a vegetarian feijoada or brazilian black bean stew. 

This goes to Chef in you’s AWED Brazil event hosted by Sara’s Corner.

Brazilian Style Black Bean and Smoked Tofu Stew (Vegan Feijoada)

Serves 2

For the smoked tofu
4 oz smoked tofu (I used Soyboy brand), cut into small cubes (about ½ cup when cubed)
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the stew
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped finely
1 green or red bell pepper, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
One 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans)
3 cups water
Salt

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the tofu cubes and cook on medium-high heat till the tofu is browned and crispy – about 6 minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil. Add onion, carrot and bell pepper. Sauté on medium heat till the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add cumin, paprika, and oregano. Stir for about 20 seconds.

Add the black beans, water and salt. Bring the stew to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or till most the liquid has evaporated. Mash some of the black beans using the back of a wooden spoon. Add the reserved tofu and cook another 5 minutes.

Top with your choice of chopped tomatoes, red onion, parsley, cilantro, orange zest, sour cream or grated cheese. Serve with my yogurt cornbread with chipotle and sweet corn niblets.

Chinese Salt and Pepper Tofu Restaurant Style

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This vegan salt and pepper tofu recipe is a great dish to entertain with. I either serve it as an appetizer with tooth picks, or I serve it as an entree with some brown rice. All the components of this recipe can be made ahead and put together just before serving. This is a truly fancy, delicious, vegan, Chinese dish and it tastes like something you’d get at a restaurant.

To clean leeks, soak sliced leeks in water for a few minutes. The grit will settle to the bottom. Then scoop up the leeks floating on top and rinse under water.

There are a few recipes online for salt and pepper tofu, like this Chinese salt and pepper tofu on the post punk kitchen forum, this salt and pepper tofu with five spice  or this simple salt and pepper tofu  from Rachael Ray magazine.

Once you fry the tofu, toss it in sauteed leeks, celery, ginger, garlic and green pepper.

For a quick appetizer, skip the sauteeing just served the fried tofu with chili sauce like below. Toss tofu cubes in corn starch, salt and pepper. Fry till golden.

Notes:

- you can use this same method and recipe with button mushrooms, parboiled cubed potato, baby corn or paneer. The only change you will make is to make a batter out of the cornstarch and dip the vegetables or paneer in the cornstarch batter before frying. Tofu doesn’t need a batter because it has a lot of moisture already, so simply tossing it in cornstarch is enough 

- fry one piece of tofu first and taste it. Adjust the salt the pepper in the batch if needed and then continue frying the rest

- fry only a few pieces of tofu at a time. If you crowd the skillet, tofu wont crisp up

- if the oil temperature is too low, the tofu wont crisp up, instead it will get soggy with oil

- substitute leeks with 1/2 cup chopped onions

- you can make the leek, celery, bell pepper sauté a day ahead

- the tofu can be fried about an hour ahead of time and placed in your oven in the lowest temperature. simply toss the tofu in the sauté in the last minute

Vegan Chinese Salt and Pepper Tofu

serves 2 as an entree or about 4 as an appetizer

for the sauté
1/2 tablespoon oil
2 medium leeks, white part only, washed and grit removed (1 cup when chopped)
1 celery rib (1/2 cup when chopped)
1 small green pepper (1/2 cup when chopped)
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

for the tofu
1 block (14 oz when drained) extra firm tofu
4 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon or to taste freshly cracked black pepper
Salt

Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Chop the leeks, celery and green pepper into a fine dice. Heat oil in a wok on medium-high heat. Add chopped leeks, celery, and green pepper. Sauté on high heat for about 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic. Cook another 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce and brown sugar and cook 30 seconds. Set this mixture aside.

Pat dry the drained tofu. Cut into 1 inch cubes. Place the tofu cubes in a large bowl. Add corn starch, salt and pepper. Gently toss till the tofu pieces are very well coated.  

In a skillet, pour oil so that it comes up 1/2 inch. Heat the oil.Make sure oil is hot. Add tofu cubes a few at a time. If you fry too many in one go they won’t crisp up. Fry the tofu pieces, flipping them around, so that all sides are golden brown. Drain onto a few layers of paper towels.

Heat up the sautéed leeks, celery and bell pepper. Add the fried tofu cubes to this. Toss well. Serve vegan Chinese salt and pepper tofu with your favorite chili sauce and garnish with celery leaves or green onions.

Temples, Monks and a Thai Raw Mango Salad with Tofu. Thailand Part 2.

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I love Thailand for its sensuous food, elegant people and spectacular sights. Out of the 30 or so countries I’ve visited, Thailand is easily on the very top of my favorites list. Here, I share with you some pictures of Bangkok – a city that is a beautiful mélange of ancient culture and modern lifestyle. You will find serene Buddhist temples along the Chao Phraya river. And a hop away, you will find racy go go bars in Nana plaza. It is incredible that these cultural extremes co-exist. With its night life, beautiful Wats (temples) and amazing food, Bangkok is a truly exciting place. If only Bangkok was cooler, Id move there in a heartbeat!

Above: Wat Pho in Bangkok;  the gigantic reclining Buddha with mother of pearl in His feet

The most memorable part of my trip to Thailand is of course, the food. Thai cooking is seductive; and I cant think of a better recipe to showcase the beauty of Thai food like this one. Salty soy sauce, rich, sweet brown sugar, fresh zesty lime, crunchy, nutty peanuts, hot chillies, and crisp, sour mangoes. Every flavor in the world is packed into this mango salad.

Traditional Thai mango salad doesn’t have tofu in it. I added tofu to make this salad more filling.

Some tips:

Make this salad a day ahead and store it in the fridge. The flavors get so much better the next day
Only use raw, green mangoes (not the ripe yellow ones)
Leave out the chili if you prefer a milder salad
Add strips of pan-fried tofu to make this salad heartier
If you dont have a mortar and pestle, use a food processor to crush the peanuts

Thai Raw (Green) Mango Salad with Tofu Recipe

serves about 4

2 large green, raw mangoes
3/4 cup roasted peanuts
2 shallots, peeled
1 thai red chili (use more or omit according to taste)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
a few sprigs cilantro
6 oz firm tofu, drained (optional)
Salt

Peel the mangoes and cut around the pit. Discard the pit. Grate the peeled mango using a box grater. Alternatively, slice the peeled mango into very thin strips.

Place the roasted peanuts, peeled shallots and red chili in a mortar and pound to a rough paste. Add this crushed peanut mixture to the shredded mango.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar and lime juice. Add this to the shredded mango and peanuts. Toss well. Taste and add salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro. Serve chilled.

To add tofu to this salad: Drain tofu and pat dry. Cut it into thin strips. Pan fry the tofu strips in a little oil till golden. Toss the tofu with the mango salad.

Easy Thai Green Curry (Gaeng Keow Wan)

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I don’t know what I’d do without an Asian store near me. The one I go to is huge, cheap and stocked with every ingredient you’d need to make any Asian meal imaginable. One of my favorite things at the Asian store is tofu or soy puffs – little cubes of golden fried tofu. When you add tofu/soy puffs to curries, they absorb all the flavor and become incredibly flavorful. If you cant find tofu puffs, oven bake or deep fry some firm tofu and use in this recipe.

I learned how to make fresh green curry paste when I was in Thailand (more about that in future posts!), but I think store bought green curry paste is good enough when you are in a hurry. No pounding lemon grass in a mortar and pestle here! Freshly made curry paste ofcourse is much tastier, but if you are in a rush, canned paste is just fine.

 The Maesri brand green curry paste I use contains:

green chili
shallots
ginger, garlic
lemon grass
kaffir lime
sugar
galangal
turmeric
coriander
cardamom
cumin

You simply add coconut milk to the paste, boil, then add vegetables, boil again and you are done!

I like to garnish my thai curries with lots of fresh thai basil. Cilantro or green onions will also make great garnishes.

Thai Green Curry (Gaeng Keow Wan) Recipe

serves about 4

1 can (4 tablespoons) green curry paste (you may need to use more or less depending on the brand)
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2 cups napa cabbage or chinese cabbage, shredded
1 medium red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup fresh or canned straw mushrooms
1/2 cup canned baby corn
1 cup tofu puffs (or firm tofu cubes that have been deep fried)
1/4 – 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves, loosely packed.

Heat a large wok and place the green curry paste, coconut milk and water in it. Bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients, except Thai basil, and boil gently for about 4 minutes or till the cabbage has wilted and the vegetables are cooked but not mushy. Turn off heat. (If the green curry is too spicy for you, add more coconut milk). Sprinkle chopped Thai basil on top. Serve with jasmine rice.

Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Soup with Crispy Baked Tofu Croutons

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shitake-spinach-soup1

I love soups and make versions of this recipe often in the cold months. Sometimes I add rice noodles to this soup to make it more filling but this time I didnt. The tofu croutons are wonderfully crunchy and make this otherwise thin soup rather satisfying. We had a huge bowl for dinner and I’m looking forward to eating the left over for lunch :)

tofu-croutons

I love these tofu croutons in the soup, they are crispy on the outside, meaty inside absorb flavors fabulously. I also love snacking on them with some hot sauce or sriracha to dip. Toss tofu cubes in some corn starch before baking, this makes the croutons extra crisp. You could add any kind of seasoning you like to the tofu cubes; I stuck with salt and pepper. Garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika will all be great; add these to the tofu about 10 minutes before the end of baking to prevent the spices from burning.
 
shitake-spinach-soup2
 

Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Soup with Crispy Baked Tofu Croutons Recipe

serves 4-6

2 oz dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 tbsp canola oil
2 leeks, chopped thinly and washed
3 tbsp garlic paste
3 tbsp ginger paste
8 cups water, vegetable stock or mushroom stock
3-4 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sriracha or chili paste
1 large bunch of fresh spinach, washed
Salt (keep in mind soy sauce and stock are already salty)

Soak dried shitake mushrooms in 3 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Heat oil in a soup pot. Add leeks and saute on high heat till leeks are soft. Then add ginger and garlic pastes and cook for about 2 minutes. Removed shitake mushroooms from the boiling water, reserve the soaking liquid. Squeze out some of the water and cut the larger mushrooms into half. Add the mushrooms to the leeks, ginger and garlic and saute on medium-high heat for about 1 minute.

Add 3 cups of the mushroom soaking liquid and 8 cups stock to the soup pot. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 6 minutes. Add the soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice, sesame oil, spinach, salt and immediately turn off heat. The fresh spinach will wilt into the soup and doent need any more cooking. Taste and adjust soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice and sriracha. Serve with tofu croutons on top. For a more filling meal, add some cooked rice noodles or vemicelli to the soup. If you like thicker soup, mix 3 tbsp of corn starch with a little water and add this to the soup at the end, but before adding spinach. Bring the soup with the corn starch slurry to a boil and then turn off heat. This will thicken the soup.

Tofu Croutons Recipe

1 block (19 oz) firm tofu
1 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tbsp corn startch
salt and pepper
other optional seasonings – garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika

Heat oven to 375 f. Drain tofu and pat dry. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss tofu cubes with corn startch, salt and pepper. Drizzle oil over the tofu cubes. Place on a non-stick baking sheet (or a baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment). Bake for 45 minutes or untill the tofu croutons are golden. If using any of the optional sesaoning listed above, remove tofu from oven 10 minutes before end of baking time and toss the croutons with sesaonings, return to oven. Let tofu croutons cool a little before removing them from the baking sheet. Serve with soup.

Curried Tofu Salad with Carrots and Jicama with Cumin Vinaigrette

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 curried-tofu-salad1

This salad is crunchy, healthy, filling and cumin scented all at the same time. And you can change it up or customize it however you wish. You could use baby corn, red peppers, arugula or cucumbers in this salad. Also try using tempeh or seitan instead of tofu.

 curry-marinated-tofu-and-chopped-jicama,-carrot

Marinate tofu in curry powder and corn startch and pan fried it till crisp. I marinated the tofu over night, but you could skip the marinating if you are in a hurry. Use a good curry powder that you enjoy, it will make all the difference. Served the tofu on top of romaine lettuce, jicama and carrots.

cumin-vinaigrette

The cumin vinaigrette is easy and delicious. Just whisk together lemon juice, olive oil cumin powder and chopped cilantro.

curried-tofu-salad2

curried-tofu-salad3

 Curried Tofu Salad with Jicama and Carrots
serves about 2 as an entree
1 block firm tofu
2 tbsp corn startch
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 smal jicama, cut into match sticks
1 large carrot, cut into match sticks

Drain the tofu and pat dry. Wrap it in several layers of paper towels, place a plate over the wrapped tofu and place a few cans (tomato, beans, soup cans etc) over the plate. Let the tofu compress this way for atleast an hour to get all the moisture out of the tofu. Then cut tofu into pieces. Toss with corn startch, curry powder, turmeric and salt. I marinated the tofu over night, but you could use it right away if you are in a hurry. Heat oil in a skillet and pan fry the tofu till its golden on all sides. Serve tofu pieces over lettuce, jicama and carrots.

 Cumin Vinaigrette

4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp mango powder (amchoor), substitute with extra lemon juice
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt, pepper

Whisk all ingredients together. Keep chilled. Serve with curried tofu salad.

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