Recipe: Tofu Masala (Vegan)

I'm not a great cook, I freely admit that, but the last couple of years I've really tried to make an effort and force myself to learn. This was sparked by our Indian friends teaching me how to make our favorite curries, I learned the basics and have been on my own since (they moved to Irvine darn them!). Our favorite Indian dishes include: Aloo matar, aloo gobi, dahl, channa masala, shahi paneer, malai kofta and many more. We REALLY love indian food!!! When our friend Srikanths brother was visiting he made us butter paneer masala, which I quickly adapted using tofu instead of paneer, then went further adapting and changing and morphing it into something of my own. I make a mean curry which we called "Di paneer" and then that lead to me veganizing that into "Tofu Masala", which is what I'll share today :)


Tofu Masala serves 4-5

Ingredients:

• Spray oil or 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Indian chili powder (or to taste)
• 2 teaspoons Turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 6oz Tin of Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 cup Cashew nuts (soak for 1 hour in soymilk below)
• 1 cup Soy Milk (or other non dairy milk)
• 8oz Mushrooms
• Tofu (block)
• Peas (tinned or frozen)

Instructions Heat pan and spray with oil, in a food processor blend the onion and ginger garlic paste into smooth paste and add to pan, add Cumin powder and cook for approx 5-8 mins. When onions are cooked and chili powder, turmeric and garam masala mixing thoroughly. Add tomatoes, mix well and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile take the cashews soaked in milk and blend into a smooth "shake" in a food processor. Chop tofu and mushrooms into chunks and add to pan, add peas to pan then blend in cashew 'shake' mixture. Mix well, add additional milk/water if necessary. Cook for 5-10 minutes.

I serve ours with basmati/pilau rice and with naan or roti. If you find that it's too spicy (not possible for us lol) then add more some fat, this really increase sthe calories: add a knob or two of vegan margarine and cook for a further couple of minutes. This is why raita is served at Indian restaurants, the yogurt helps subdue the spices, that's also why creamy curries are milder so we always ask for ours spicy :)

Nutrition info:
Obviously this will change depending on the tofu you buy (I get the high protein tofu at trader joes) and the milk used, but a rough guide for the Tofu Masala: 270 Calories; 14g Fat; 20g carbs; 4g Fiber; 20g Protein

Enjoy!

Di