Curry Cravings: Coconut Curry with Tofu

Happy Monday everyone!

This weekend, I was really craving some sort of indian food. I love going out to hole in the wall restaurants like Panna II near St. Marks to get awesome indian food for a low price (not to mention its byob) but seeing as its finals week, most people don't have time to make a night out of it. The last time I went to Panna II I was with my stylish friend, Sam, and our friend Danny. Sam is also the one who first tempted me to find a healthy alternative to eating indian food at restaurants, as most tend to use heavy cream  and full fat cheeses to make their dishes so delectable. Pair this with my Friday night craving, and I was off to Whole Foods faster than you could say Tikki Masala. I looked for inspiration on multiple sites, with the end result being a combination of a couple recipes. I opted for tofu due to the fact that I'm very picky about how chicken is prepared and I was feeling very veg-inspired thinking of Sam (who has been a newly veg/ vegan for about 6 months? yay!) I made this meal with my friend Steph at her apartment, and it actually turned out quite well! I urge you try it for something new in the kitchen (and healthy!) The result was a curry made with light coconut milk, tomato paste, and vegetables to bulk up our cubed tofu into a satisfying meal! We paired it with a boxed brown rice pilaf, but any type of rice works!

Coconut Curry with Tofu

Coconut Curry with Tofu


Serves 6 


Ingredients:
Vegetable Oil, about 1 Tbsp
1 Medium Onion, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used baby portabellas, but use whatever you like!)
Fresh ginger, sliced thin, about 1 Tbsp
20 oz canned light coconut milk
Yellow Curry Powder, approx 2 Tbsp
Cinnamon
1/2 small can Tomato Paste
Scallions
Cashews
1 block Firm Tofu, pressed and cubed
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt, pepper

Instructions: 

Heat vegetable oil on medium high heat, add onions red pepper, mushrooms and ginger-- cook until softened. Add cubed tofu-- let these cook in oil for a few minutes. Season tofu and vegetables with salt and pepper while in the pan. Next, add curry powder to the pan, toss until tofu is evenly coated (will give the cubes a yellowish color). Once fully mixed, add the coconut milk and tomato paste, reduce pan to medium-- mix sauce and vegetables and let simmer. Add red pepper flakes at this point for some extra spice. Simmer over medium/medium low heat for 10 minutes, until thickened. Add cinnamon to taste, approximately 1 teaspoon. Crush cashews and toast them in a separate pan until browned, use as garnish. Slice scallions to use as garnish as well. Curry can be eaten on its own, or goes well over rice!

Brown Rice Pilaf (from a box-- can't do it all!)

Sliced Scallions and Toasted Cashews for a crunchy final touch!

I was surprised how good this recipe this turned out-- very reminiscent of a dish I would get at an indian restaurant. Its slightly sweet, savory, and spicy. If you try this, feel free to add more curry for an added spice, or red pepper flakes for an different kind of kick! I've been eating leftovers of this all weekend, and its still holding up pretty well! Its chock full of veggies, low cal, and packed with flavor-- what else could you ask for?

Thank you to Steph for coming to Whole Foods with me and cooking the rice (hehe). Also, thank you for Sam for giving me this challenge, whether you knew you did or not. And thank you everyone else for reading!

Do you like indian food? What's your favorite dish? Or, what's the weirdest craving you've ever had?

Also, I wasn't lying about my friend Sam being stylish! Check out her fantastic fashion blog, GrlsGotStyle!