Chilli tofu may be a street food, but that’s no reason not to make this hot, sweet, sour and sticky mouthful at home, too
Meera Sodha
Sat 21 Oct 2017 10.30 CEST
- Share on Facebook
- Share on Twitter
- Share via Email
Something happens to mewhen I get within 10miles of Leicester. Icrave chilli tofu: the urge is so strong, I swear I can smell it the closer I get to into the city.
This Pavlovian response was forged over years travelling as a child with my parents from Lincolnshire to Leicester on the three-and-a- half-hour round trip to shop for spices and saris. We’d head to Melton Road,which was lined with shops owned by the Indian community recently ousted from Idi Amin’s Uganda. Back then, the sari shop windows displayed 1960s mannequins with beehives, many ofthem chipped or missing an arm, and the dazzling gold jewellery shops attracted Indian women like moths to a flame. There were endless shaak (vegetable) bhaji shops selling produce I wasn’t used to seeing in rural Lincolnshire: spiky bitter gourds, eyeball-like lychees and obscenely large jackfruit in spice- and incense-scented shops. Although I love it all now, at 10 itwas the height of boredom being dragged around those shops, so my parents regularly employed bribes to keep my sister and me from getting up to no good (pulling saris off their hangers). Top of the list was a chilli paneer, chilli mogo or chilli tofu washed down with a carton of neon-orange Rubicon mango juice. These dishes are Indo-Chinese, afairly new cuisine (the first restaurant opened in Kolkata just 85years ago) that has found its way into the hearts and bellies of all Indians. In today’s recipe, tofu is fried until crisp, then doused in garlic, chillies, tomato, soy and sugar until sticky, hot, sweet and sour. There is nothing not to like: it is brazenly addictive stuff.
Chilli tofu
An excellent way to get your protein. This dish is traditionally eaten out and about with other street food such as samosas, chaats and dosas, but at home Ieat it by itself or with spinach, non-dairy yoghurt and chapatis to create a meal. Serves four.
800g firm tofu (try the Cauldron and Taifun brands, which are widely available), drained and cut into 3cm cubes Spread the tofu on a large plate and dust with the cornflour, turning thecubes to coat. Take a deep frying pan for which you have a lid and addenough oil to come 0.5cm up the sides, and heat over a medium flame. Line a dish with kitchen towel, to drain the cooked tofu on. Shake any excess cornflour off the tofu, then put half the tofu in the hot oil. Fry for three minutes, turning regularly with tongs, until golden, then transfer to the paper-lined dish and repeat with the remaining tofu.
Cornflour
Rapeseed oil, for frying
2 tsp cumin seeds, bashed
1 brown onion, peeled and diced
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
4 green finger chillies: 2 very finely chopped, 2 slit down their length
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp caster sugar
¾ tsp salt
2 peppers (1 red and 1 green, ideally), cored and cut into 1cm slices
Drain all but two tablespoons of oil from the pan, then fry the cumin and onion for 10-12 minutes, until soft and sweet. Add the garlic, ginger and the chopped and whole chillies, fry for five minutes, then add the ground pepper, tomato puree, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Stirto mix, cook for five minutes, then add the pepper strips and 100ml water. Cover and leave to cook for eight minutes, stirring every now and then, and adding more water if need be: there should be just enough “sauce” to coat the tofu.
When the peppers are soft, return the tofu back to the pan, turn up the heat and stir to coat the tofu in sauce. Stir-fry for five minutes, to warm the tofu through, then take off the heat. Serve by itself if you’re Indian, orwith chapatis, greens or a leafy salad,and rice if you’re not.
{{#ticker}}
{{topLeft}}
{{bottomLeft}}
{{topRight}}
{{bottomRight}}
{{#goalExceededMarkerPercentage}}
{{/goalExceededMarkerPercentage}}
{{/ticker}}
{{heading}}
{{#paragraphs}}
{{.}}
{{/paragraphs}}{{highlightedText}}
{{#choiceCards}}
{{/choiceCards}}
We will be in touch to remind you to contribute. Look out for a message in your inbox in . If you have any questions about contributing, please contact us.
Topics
- Food
- The new vegan
- Indian food and drink
- Main course
- Snacks
- Vegan food and drink
- Veganism
- Vegetables
- recipes
- Share on Facebook
- Share on Twitter
- Share via Email
- Share on LinkedIn
- Share on WhatsApp
- Share on Messenger
View on theguardian.com
