Friday, July 29, 2016

Spiced Coconut Tofu (or prawns if you swing that way)



We are back in Stockholm and need to adjust our recipes, and eating habits to accommodate the type of available produce.
I am doing a series of tofu dishes trying to sort out how to best use the tofu that I can get in Stockholm.  We have decided that the tofu here does not soak up the sauces in the usual way, making the dishes a bit bland.
Cutting the tofu much smaller seems to help.
 As I have written before the produce is very different from Tasmanian produce, and worlds away from our garden produce.
This spiced coconut curry sauce masks the inferior produce, and goes well with many vegetables, bok-choi, cauliflower, carrot, broccoli, or whichever vegetables you have on hand.  This is also a good recipe if you have vegetables in the pantry/crisper not quite good enough for a fresh salad.

I used a small wok to cook the prawns which my vegetarian wife does not eat.
They are easily tossed in cooked, after I serve up her portion.

After your rice is cooked (I couldn't live without my rice cooker, the rice is done by the time my prep is finished) About 20 minutes total.

Here is the original recipe for 4 people.
Due to familiarity I do not actually measure - but I use the recipe as a guide towards portions/ratios 

1.25kg uncooked prawns (of your choice, here I used frozen, shelled, deveined- ready to cook)
200g Broccoli cut into florets
250g Cauliflower cut into florets
1 small brown onion (about 100g) sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 fresh long red chillies, sliced thinly
1 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
140ml can coconut milk
Tofu (of your choice, cut to preferred size)

Prep - Cut your vegetables and put aside
Roast the mustard seeds until fragrant
grind the cooked mustard seeds, then add in all other dry spices, in a bowl big enough to then add in your coconut milk and vegetables (except onion and garlic) and toss all vegetables to coat with your spices/coconut milk

Start your wok, quickly stir-fry your tofu and prawns
Add in your garlic and onion- quickly stir-fry
Add in your vegetables and sauce
Stir-fry until vegetables are tender- and your sauce has rendered down a bit
Serve over rice