Getting Curried Away

Last night was tofu night again. This time I found a great recipe from Kake's vegan cookery for another Thai dish. I mean, its been a week since we had Thai food. It was time. This dish is Red curried vegetables with tofu. Now Kake says this is best made with his red curry sauce. I'm sure he's right, but rather than take the extra time/ingredients to make the sauce, I opted for Trader Joe's red curry sauce. I mean its Trader Joes which is usually great, and it was already made which is a plus in my book. However, because of this change, I don't think the TJ's sauce is as powerful as Kake's and the veggies were GREAT, but the tofu was a little lacking in flavor. Next time I make this, I would either add more sauce, or simmer the tofu in the sauce before adding it to the mix. But spice-wise? I thought this was just the right spiciness. I think I really like the TJ's red curry sauce (it was our first experience with it), and I think it could be a great addition to my TJ's list.

Red Curried Vegetables with Tofu

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 pckg plain firm tofu
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/6 head broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1 bell peppers, cut into large (2cm, 3/4 inch) squares
• 1/2 cup TJ's Thai red curry sauce
• 1 zucchini cut into thick semicircles

1. First prepare the tofu. Drain and rinse it well. 3/4 inch cubes

2. Heat a large heavy frying pan, and oil it lightly (or heavily if you prefer). Fry each side of the tofu cubes until golden brown, and set aside (you can do this while preparing the rest of the curry, as long as you keep an eye on it). Don't stirfry it, but wait to turn it until the bottom is browned, then turn carefully, without breaking.

3. To make the curry, heat a large saucepan or wok, then add a little oil, and heat again. Add the garlic, and stir for a few seconds before beginning to add the vegetables in the order given. The curry paste needs to be added before the pan gets so full that it doesn't fry properly, but not so soon that it overcooks. I add it after the peppers.

4. When all the vegetables are in, add the fried tofu and cook for a few more minutes, then turn the heat down, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally (carefully, to avoid breaking the tofu), until the vegetables are done to your liking. Take the lid off before the end if it looks like there will be too much liquid.