Vegetable Medley and Tandoori Tofu Pita Boats

It's been 4 months since I started the Noom diet and it's been an eye opener. I debated for months and researched various diet plans before I chose Noom. Noom helps you make better food choices as well as your health goals through a combination of psychology, technology, and human coaching. It's been a struggle for the last 4 months, but I lost 21 pounds so far. I have 9 more pounds to lose to reach my weight goal.  

Here's what I learned and why I've been able to stay on track. I'm eating more vegetables, checking calories and buying foods that have little or no added sugars. I'm also doing meal prep on the weekends for the week ahead. A good example of one of the dishes I make a lot is Vegetable Medley and Tandoori Tofu boats. This dish full of flavor and it keeps me satisfied. I have been eating these boats for lunch and dinner. Aren't you dying to find out how to make them? 

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Ingredients

• 4 whole wheat pitas
• 8 - 10oz Extra firm Tofu, dab water with towel and cut into 1" cubes
• 2 Tbsp Tandoori paste (we used Deep brand)
• 1/2 lb. or 3 cups Broccoli florets, cut to 1" size and stems peeled and chopped
• 1 medium Carrot, peeled and sliced into thin slices
• 1/3 lb. Snow peas, stringed and chopped into 1/2 pieces
• 1 large Red Bell Pepper, remove seeds and cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, sliced into half
• 7-8 stems of Thyme, leaves pulled
• 1/2 to 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• 2 grinder rounds of Black Pepper 
• 2 pinches of Salt

Procedure

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan on low medium heat, add Tofu pieces and Tandoori paste and gently stir around for the paste to coat the pieces. Pan fry the tofu on low flame by mixing intermittently turning the tofu pieces to fry on all sides. It take 5-7 min. Transfer tofu into a bowl.
2. In a large microwavable container add Broccoli, Carrots and Snow peas, sprinkle a pinch of salt and microwave the veggies with a lid for 2-3 min based on your appliance wattage. 
3. Add chopped tomatoes, thyme, red bell pepper, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, black pepper powder and another pinch of salt to the veggies from above. Mix gently to coat the veggie salad well.
4. Carefully cut the pita into half and open the pocket. Place 5-6 pieces of Tandoori tofu and then fill it up with the veggie salad. Then top up the pita pocket/boat with some yogurt dip and enjoy the fresh and flavorful taste. 

I started making these boats at home and my husband loves it. It's filling and healthy. Quick tip: I use about 1-1.25 cups of the vegetable salad per pita. It's up to you how much you want to stuff your pita. You can also spread some hummus in the pita for more flavor. Overall, I really like this combination because it's hearty and has all good ingredients. 

Below is a bonus recipe for the Garlic Yogurt Sauce that complements the veggie boats. Enjoy!  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (Whole or low fat), whisked to smooth with 1 Tbsp. water 
• 1 clove garlic, mince finely
• 1 tsp lemon juice 
• 1/2 tsp dry mint crushed                       
• 2 or 3 grinder rounds of Black pepper                                          
• Salt, as needed

Mix all items together until well blended. Adjust the salt and lemon per your taste. 

Have questions?? Post a comment or send us a DM on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. We love hearing from our readers. 

Creamy Tofu and Karela Curry

This is for all vegetarians and healthy conscious people alike. A well balanced meal includes carbs, protein, fats and oils. When it comes to choosing the right ingredients to add the proper nutrients to our meals, one that comes mind is TOFU.

What's so great about Tofu? 
- Low in sodium and cholesterol  
- Low glycemic index
- Good source of protein, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, copper, selenium, calcium, and manganese. 

With all these positive attributes, what's not to love. We like using a couple different varieties of Tofu: Firm, Extra Firm and Tofu Steak (available in Cajun, Garlic & Pepper, Grilled). These add extra flavor to our dishes.

One of the many ways we use Tofu is adding it to our vegetable gravy curries that are eaten with Indian flatbreads (such as roti, chappati, naan, paratha), and/or brown/white rice. This week's tofu recipe includes Karela (also known as Bitter Melon or gourd), another healthy and nutritious ingredient. So let's start cooking!

Creamy Tofu and Karela curry served w/ Brown Rice & Roti

Ingredients:
- 1 lb Karela, chopped into 1" cubes
- 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
- 7.25oz Firm Tofu, drained and cut into 1" cubes

- 3/4 cup Salsa (Mild, Medium or Hot)
- 2 to 3 tbsp Ranch dip*
- 1 tsp Mustard and Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Turmeric (Haldi)
- 2 to 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp Salt (or as needed)

Procedure:
In a large saucepan, heat oil and add mustard and cumin seeds for seasoning. When they start spluttering, add onion and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add karela, turmeric, and salt. Mix well and cover pan with tight lid. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until karela is cooked. (Hint: Test it by piercing a knife or fork through a piece of karela and it should go in easily.) Next add tofu pieces, salsa and dip. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.

***Quick Tips: 
- If ranch dip is not readily available, add sour cream. 
- Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to reduce the bitter taste of Karela.  
- Check out other yummy Tofu recipes: Tandoori Tofu, Potato & Tofu with Spiced Tomato Sauce

Not Your Everyday TOFU!!

I made some mango milkshake to eat with my tandoori tofu. It is a good blend of sweet and spice.

I have tasted my share of different kinds of Indian curries before and let me tell you this...most of the ones you eat at North Indian restaurants like Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Makhani...tend to taste the same to me. They both have similar tomato based gravies that were cooked with the chicken. Been there, done that. Now for someone who is vegetarian, these curries wouldn't even be appealing. So what would they eat? Vegetarians I have chatted with have told me about Tofurkey and Tofu burgers which have the firmness of meat but are made from Tofu and seasoning.
You know, that stuff still sounds Bland to me. I need flavor and spices. I'm not saying, I'm a full fledged Hot curry eater, but I like taste in every bite. My parents are vegetarian and they are always looking for ways to "spice" up their cooking with Indian and American ingredients. My mom decided to make Tandoori Tofu curry to eat with naan (Indian bread). I've had Tandoori chicken at restaurants where the chicken was marinated with the Tandoori spices and grilled, then served with onions and chilies...if you dared to eat them RAW!! We took the concept of mixing the Tandoori spices and marinating them with Tofu. The tofu sucked up all the juices from the Tandoori mixture and when eaten with naan, it was like I was swimming in a pool of flavor. The best part is that it fills you up and it's good for you.

I couldn't wait to share it with everyone I knew...Hey, don't take my word for it, make it at home and let me know how it came out.


Tandoori Tofu Curry:
- 12oz (340g) of **Tofu (steak style, seasoned) 
- 2 tbsp Tandoori Paste
- ½ cup Tomato puree
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 Medium Onion, chopped finely
- 1 tsp of Ginger garlic paste
- 2 tbsp Oil, for cooking
- 1 tbsp of Fat- Free Sour Cream, optional
- 2 tsp Salt (to taste)
- ½ tsp of Red chili powder
- 1 tbsp of Coriander (Cilantro), chopped and used for garnish

Procedure:
1. Remove tofu from its packing and drain the water well. Cut the tofu block into 1-1.5” cubes.

2. In a mixing bowl add yogurt, tandoori paste and mix well. Add the tofu pieces into the bowl and using a flat silicone spatula cover the mixture onto tofu. Marinate for 30min to 1hr.

3. Heat the oil in a saucepan on a medium flame. Add onions and sauté until they are golden brown, then add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder and mix well for 1min.

4. Add tomato puree and mix the mixture for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the tofu along with the yogurt into the pan, add salt and cook for 7-10min until the gravy thickens.

5. If you want to add more color, you can add frozen carrots and peas mix to the curry while its on the stove. Just before removing from heat, add some sour cream and mix well. Do not over mix the curry as the tofu pieces may break.

6. Transfer the curry into a serving dish and garnish with coriander.

7. Serve the curry with naan, rotis or rice for a delicious, nutritious and scrumptious meal. Side additions of raw onions and green chilies will go well with roti or naan (typical north Indian style).

Quick Tips
- Please Note: Tofu Steak can be found in the cut fruit and veggie section of Shoprite. In case the tofu steak variant is unavailable, use the extra-firm type to avoid breakage of pieces