It’s tofu, omg…

 (Serves 2) Tofu is a staple in vegan diets, I haven’t posted a recipe including it yet so I’m now rectifying this shameful travesty. It might look like a tasteless, weird, wobbly block of nothingness but once you get the hang of cooking with it you can make it crunchy and crispy in savoury dishes and even use silken tofu to make creamy puddings. Protein rich and also a good source of calcium, it is made from curdling soya milk to form curds which are pressed together. A very similar process to how cheese is made. And because I said I wanted to tell you more about Punjabi recipes, I had a go at making a paneer style karahi dish. Traditionally cooked in an iron, flat bottomed wok (a karahi), quite a dry curry made with ground chilli powder and fresh peppers.

Tofu takes on the flavours of your marinade – without any seasoning it really does taste like wobbly nothingness. I used nutritional yeast, lemon juice and salt, let it sit in that for a couple of days in the fridge to create a paneery flavour. The salt helped to draw out extra liquid to give it a firmer, more paneer-like texture and the lemon gave it a slight tang. 

Now if you haven’t come across nutritional yeast before, I know those words together hardly conjure up mouth watering images of decadent food… but it’s seriously good! It is a deactivated yeast (so it doesn’t have leavening abilities – it won’t make your food expand during cooking!). It has this cheesy, nutty flavour which hits that umami spot. You can find it in good health food shops for a couple of quid or online for a bit more. Basically, go buy some now so you can have cheesy flavours back in your vegan life. Put it in your pasta dishes, spoon it directly from the tub into your mouth… OR make my lovely Indian curry dish below…

INGREDIENTS

• 250g firm tofu
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp salt   

• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground red chilli powder
• 2 tsp dried fenugreek/methi
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp oil (I use raw virgin coconut, olive oil is fine)
• 400g chopped tomatoes   

METHOD

• Do your magic tofu into paneer prep two days before! Mix the nutritional yeast, lemon juice and salt and put into a small clear bag/sandwich bag/zip lock bag. Drain your tofu, pat dry with paper towels and dice into bite sized pieces. Put them in the bag and mix well but gently to ensure even coverage. Try to press out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Leave it in the fridge for up to three days.
• So a couple of days later… make your curry base. Heat your oil in the wok. Cook the onion and garlic for 5 mins until browned, on a medium heat.
• Add the ginger and spices, continue to cook and stir for 2 more mins until fragrant.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and fresh chilli, stir well. Add the sliced pepper, stir to coat and cook for a further 2 mins.
• Remove your pieces of tofu from the bag and transfer into the pan. Stir gently, again to coat everything. Allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the curry sauce is quite dry and thick and the peppers are tender. The tofu will hold its shape and cook in the sauce.  
• EAT IT! I ate mine with some brown rice. Lovely stuff.

This tasted great. The initial tofu marinade did give it the mild cheesy taste and texture I was hoping for, and then it was cooked again in the curry spices which added even more flavour. Tofu is a flavour sponge and making fake paneer is my new favourite thing to do with it. Might become yours too?

S.x

It’s tempeh, omg…

(Makes enough for four wraps)  TEMPEH! As well as being a satisfying word to say in a Yorkshire accent, tempeh is another wonderful soybean product – no cholesterol, low calorie – and is far less processed than tofu. Originating in Indonesia, tempeh is made from fermented whole soybeans which retain a high fibre, vitamin and protein content. Its texture is quite firm and it has a mild yet deeper, earthier flavour compared to tofu, so is ideal for dicing up without falling apart and marinating to take on your chosen flavours. You should be able to buy tempeh in health food shops, though I found this decent sized block in the frozen section at my beloved local Chinese supermarket for £1.69, and simply had to give it some of my spice rack treatment. Seeing as I’m from a Punjabi family and I haven’t yet posted an Indian recipe (sorry mum, gran, my people), I decided to do my take on a tandoori/tikka style wrap with a homemade spice blend AND homemade chapattis so you’re getting more than one recipe in this post, dear reader, lucky you… Alas, I do not have a traditional tandoor oven (one day I will), so to make this you need a non-stick griddle pan for the tempeh and a flat and wide skillet or shallow frying pan for the chapattis. A rolling pin, too.

INGREDIENTS

• 200g tempeh
• Cooking oil (I use raw virgin coconut oil, but olive oil is also fine)

Tandoori spice mix:

• 1 heaped tsp ground red chilli powder
• 1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper  

(You can use a pre-made tandoori spice mix from your local Asian shop but I don’t like to cheat 😉 I won’t judge you or tell anyone if you do…)

• 3 tbsp vegan yoghurt (I used CoYo coconut)
• Handful of fresh, chopped coriander
• Half a large onion, sliced

Chapattis:

• 4 heaped tablespoons wholewheat flour
• 2 tbsp fresh, chopped coriander
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• Warm water as needed for dough
• Lettuce, salad, lemon juice, hot sauce, mint sauce – your choice, for serving

METHOD

• Prepare your tempeh – defrost if it’s frozen. Dice into 12 pieces and steam for ten minutes. If you don’t have a steamer, you can boil in water instead. Drain and set aside to cool.
• Mix all the dry spice ingredients in a small bowl, lightly toast them for a couple of minutes in a frying pan until they are fragrant. Take care not to burn! Transfer back into the bowl and wait until cool. Add the yoghurt and stir well.     
• Spoon this marinade onto the tempeh in an airtight container. Ensure all the pieces are coated well. Cover, refrigerate and leave to marinate for at least 3 hours.

In this time you can make your chapattis! It won’t take you three hours though, do not fret:

• Mix the flour, coriander and cumin in a large bowl. Add water a little at a time whilst mixing with your hands to form a soft and springy dough. If it becomes too sticky, add a bit more flour, if it becomes too dry, add a bit more water, until the consistency is right – everything should hold together and not stick to the side of the bowl or your hands. Knead well for a few minutes. Leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour.
• Divide into four balls of dough. On a clean and lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into thin circles. Cook each chapatti one at a time on a medium heat on your skillet/shallow frying pan for approx 3 mins each side. Once off the heat, coat one side very lightly with a small amount of vegan butter or oil to stop them from drying out. Keep aside until needed to assemble your wrap!  

Time to whip out your griddle pan for tempeh time:

• Heat a small amount of oil to just coat the surface of your pan. Place your pieces of marinated tempeh in the pan and cook on each side for 3 to 4 minutes. You’ll smell the amazing spices and each side will turn a darker brown/red as it crisps up. YUM. Once it’s all cooked, use the same pan to fry off your sliced onions for a further 5 mins.  
• WRAP TIME. Reheat your chapattis in the microwave/under the grill/oven. There should be enough tandoori tempeh to make four wraps – four chapattis, four pieces in each one. Add in your salad, squeeze of lemon, onions and sauces. EAT and SMILE.

These turned out very well indeed. Crisp and spiced on the outside and tender on the inside. I can’t think how I’d improve it, really! The process might seem quite long, but it’s worth it. The tempeh really does need a few hours to marinate – you could prepare the night before. To save some time you could serve in pre-made tortilla style wraps. They would also go nicely in a salad or with rice and a curry sauce.

I’m feeling very inspired now about cooking and writing about some more traditional Punjabi recipes so expect a few more posts like this 🙂

S.x