Monday, May 20, 2013

Curried Tofu

This is my adaptation of Mark Bittman's recipe for curried tofu.  The  on-line version of the New York Times has a video playlist of him preparing his recipes, including Curried Tofu.  I modified his recipe by using coconut oil rather than olive oil to caramelize the onions, omitting the walnuts, and using lite coconut milk and reducing the amount of it. With my modifications, it still has 29 grams of fat, but it comes primarily from the coconut milk and coconut oil, which I digest well. With 381 calories, this is the type of meal that I need right now to help me gain back the weight I lost during my protracted illness in November - February.  


Coconut oil

So, this is not really a recipe for a pureed food. But tofu is soft enough for me to eat without difficulty, especially when it is braised in the coconut milk as it is in this recipe. The brand I like particularly well is Wildwood Sprouted Tofu because it has higher protein than most tofu products.  Also, many soy products are filled with pesticides, but this organic tofu is not.

I didn't take a photo of the Curry Tofu when I finished making it because I was too hungry! But I love the illustration of a coconut below that our son, Dan, drew for my blog. That will suffice until I make this another time and take a photo of it.  

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
    sprinkle of salt (not even 1/8 tsp.)
    1/4 teaspoon curry powder  (or more for Pzazz)
    1/3 cup lite coconut milk
    4.5 oz Wildwood sprouted tofu, cut into cubes
    Dash of reduced sodium soy sauce (no more than 1/2 teaspoon) 
    Sprinkle of cayenne powder...go easy on it, unless you enjoy spicy food!


Preparation:
Heat oil in pan over low heat. Add onions and the sprinkle of salt and slowly caramelize the onions, stirring often, but not constantly. When the onions are brown and almost blackened, add the curry powder and cook for about 30 seconds more, stirring. Add the coconut milk and stir well. Add the cubed tofu and braise it in the spiced coconut milk for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with a dash of soy sauce and just a tiny, tiny bit of cayenne. Delicious!


Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: About 1 1/2 cup                      
Total Fat: 29 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 370 mg
Total Carbs: 11 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 23 g