It's a New Year with New Foodie Possibilities

Happy 2021 everyone! 

Here's to starting a new year with delicious and healthy foods. 

Don't you want to dive into this wholesome stuffed pita goodness? 

The pitas are filled with fresh vegetables and fruit and sprinkled with a chutney made from herbs. These cute stuffed pitas can be enjoyed as an appetizer or an entree. It depends on how hungry you are! 

Check out the recipe below and let us know how you liked it in the comments section. 

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 3/4" long thin slices
• 1 medium red onion, cut into chunks
• 7 to 8 oz (200g) firm Tofu
• 2 oz Pepperjack or Feta cheese, grated or crumbled
• 1/2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 to 3 green chilies, cut finely or crushed
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup mint chutney (or as needed)
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Whole wheat Pita

Procedure

1) Cut out the portion of tofu from the block and gently press it between your palms to squeeze water. Press various sides. Alternately dab the tofu block on the towel folds to absorb water.

2) Heat oil in a skillet and add chilies and ginger garlic paste, onions followed by Green pepper. Sprinkle some salt and toss well, then cook under a closed lid on medium for 1-2 min. Add carrots and mix well, and continue to cook under a closed lid for another 2 minutes.

3) Crumble the tofu and add to the pan and sprinkle the remaining salt and toss well for another minute and remove from heat. Mix in the cheese, and pomegranate seeds.

4) Cut the pita in half and open the pocket and fill it in with the Veggie-Tofu mixture. Spoon in the mint chutney on the top and enjoy!

5) The mixture fills 3 whole pita or 6 pita pockets. 

Happy Eating!

Quick Note

• Can use crushed red pepper instead of green chilies. 
• For a greater taste, mix the mint chutney into the veggie blend instead of topping.

Celebrating Flavors with Tandoori Tofu and Coriander Chutney Sandwiches

Congratulations to Swathi for sharing her re-creation of one our recipes with us. 

Recently, one of my relatives reached out and asked us for some protein enriched recipes to make for her family. One of the recipes that came to mind instantly was the Tandoori Tofu curry. It's easy to make, healthy and high on the protein list. She tried the recipe and shared her experience with us. We love it when people make our recipes their own. 

Check out the Tandoori Tofu and Coriander Chutney Sandwiches above. Don't they look so tasty and inviting. I just want to take a bite into one right now. 

She modified the recipe so she could stuff the curry into the bread rolls to make sandwiches. She spread coriander chutney on one side and Tandoori Tofu curry on the other side. She also added cucumber and onions slices and sprinkled a little lemon juice to add more flavor. 

Mama Mia! My mouth is watering just thinking about all these flavors. Great job Swathi! 

QUICK TIP:

- Shred or grate the tofu before making the curry so it won't be clumpy in the sandwich. 

- The bread rolls can be substituted with any other kind of rolls if you are allergic to gluten like potato rolls. This curry goes well with jeera rice. 

FEEDBACK FROM OUR READERS:

 What do you think of this sandwich idea? Have you tried our Tandoori Tofu recipe? Please share your thoughts with us. 

Click here for more recipes.

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

Tofu Lovers Rejoice

Here's another tofu delight from our culinary chest that we know your taste buds will love and rejoice. We love cooking with tofu because it is low in calories & fat and high in protein and iron. Now that's goodness we can bite into. There are also varieties in tofu, such as Steak (firm), soft/silken, or dried that you can work with to create a number of dishes. We prefer to use the Steak type in dishes like our Potato & Tofu with Spiced Tomato Sauce because the tofu will not crumble so easily when mixed with the other ingredients. This dish can be served with hot naan, roti, rice (brown or plain) or enjoyed by itself as a side dish. 

Click image to enlarge

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients: 

- 6 oz (½ block) Extra Firm Tofu (steak type or plain), drain well and cut into 1”cubes                      

- 1 large Potato, microwave, peel and cut into 1” pcs

-  ½ cup of Crushed tomatoes                                                        

- 5 fl oz or 150 mL (small can) of Evaporated milk            

- 1 large Onion, chopped finely

- ½ cup of  Carrots & Peas (frozen)                                                

- 1tbsp of Dhan-Jeera powder (coriander/cumin)

- 1 tsp of Ginger/garlic paste

- 1 tsp (or to taste) of Chili powder

- ½ tsp of Turmeric powder                                                             

- small handful (approx. 1/8 cup) of Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)    

- 1 ½ tsp (or as needed) of Salt                                                                                        

- 1 ½ tbsp of Vegetable oil                                                                     

Procedure:

1) Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add Dhan-jeera, chili powder, turmeric and mix well. Now add onions, ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.

2) Add tofu and potato cubes and mix well to coat them thoroughly with the spice mixture (3-4 minutes).

3) Next add crushed tomatoes and mix well for 3-4 minutes to remove the raw taste and then add evaporated milk into the mixture. 

4) Then add 1 cup of water. Next add salt, methi leaves and cook under closed lid for 7-10 minutes until the gravy thickens and the spices are infused into the tofu & potato. Remove from heat, mix in carrots and peas, and allow it to sit for 5-6 minutes.

Quick Tips: 

- All the spices help elevate the flavor of the tofu and potato in this dish.
- Cauliflower can be substituted for potato. 
- The curry will taste even better if allowed to sit for a few hours or the next day. 

Bring Home the Tropics

Let's recap the events of the past few weeks: snow, more snow, and even more snow. Most of our time was spent shoveling, scraping, and salting our driveway, porch and cars for the umpteenth time. I know it sounds like I'm complaining but this is my way of venting and I know some of you feel my pain.

My sunny getaway

With all this awful weather, I just want to escape to a tropical island and relax. For now the vacation will have to wait...and since I can't go to the tropics, the tropics will have to come to me.

You're probably confused as to what I'm talking about...

While we sent my dad on a mission to the grocery store for some ingredients, my mom and I decorated our table with Hawaiian leis, lit some aromatic candles and made Pineapple Paneer Biryani for dinner. It almost felt like we were on an island with the beautiful setting and warm house.

Ingredients:

•Basmati Rice........................................... 4 cups
•Paneer (cottage cheese).......................... 6 oz (approx. 175g), cut into cubes
•Pineapple............................................... 1 small size fruit (or 20oz can of slices)
•Biryani masala / garam masala (mild)....... 1 ½ tbsp or adjust to desired spice intensity
•Peas & carrots (frozen)............................ 1 cup
•Red onion.............................................. 1 large, sliced finely
•Garlic.................................................... 4 pods, chopped finely
•Salt....................................................... ¾ tbsp or as per taste
•Cashews or almonds............................. 10 – 12 nuts chopped
•Vegetable oil......................................... 3 tbsp


Procedure:
1) Soak rice in plenty of water for 30 minutes. Core and cut fresh pineapple into cubes or cut the canned pineapple slices into ½” pieces.

2) Heat oil in a non-stick wok or Dutch oven. Fry onions and garlic until they start to brown (a pinch of sugar can make onions caramelize faster). Add Paneer cubes and fry until they start to brown, mix in pineapple cubes and stir for 2-3 minutes. Remove from container and set aside.

3) Place the wok/oven again on low heat and add biryani masala and rice (drained from water). Stir for 4-5 minutes until the aroma comes out. Now add 4 ½ cups of water and salt, close it with the lid and cook rice until all water is absorbed (approx. 15-20min).

4) When most of the water is evaporated, add the onions & pineapple mix into rice and mix well and cook the rice until done completely.

At the end, stir in the frozen peas and carrots.

5) In a small pan heat 2 tsp of oil and fry the nuts until golden brown and add to the biryani. Serve hot by garnishing with fried onions for additional taste.

Quick Tip: Fried firm tofu can be substituted for Paneer.

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