In our hands, Indian food always takes so long to make but we have never been disappointed in the outcome. Though it took SIX whole hours to make, the palak tofu, tofu vindaloo, bhindi ki subji and basmati rice were amazing. Below is the recipe for Tofu Vindaloo. The palak tofu and bhindi ki subji recipes we followed are written elsewhere, and is our side of basmati rice.

This tofu vindaloo recipe was modified from a chicken vindaloo recipe which I had made for Chris in the past after learning what substitutes for punjabi and tamarind paste. But as I would be eating the vindaloo too this week, we decided to try it with tofu.

Tofu Vindaloo

(Makes 6 to 8 servings as a main dish or up to 16 as a side dish.)

Ingredients for marinade: to be made at least 4 hours before, but the day before is best.

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp citric acid (or 2 crushed vitamin C tablets)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup minced garlic (1 full garlic bulb)
• 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
• 2 Serrano peppers, chopped
• 2.5 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek powder (or celery powder)
• 1/2 tsp dried ginger powder
• 3/4 Tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 lbs of Extra Firm Tofu

The Marinade:

Place all marinade ingredients into a gallon-sized resealable bag. Mix well (we use a whisk). Slice Tofu into slabs and stab with a fork to allow marinade to seep in. Place tofu into bag and chill until ready to use, mixing as needed.

Ingredients for vindaloo:

• Marinade from above (you will use it)
• Tofu from above (stripped of as much marinade as possible and cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 3 white onions
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tsp brown sugar

Protocol: (I’m a scientist)

Finely grind up the onions. A food processor works well for this. In fact, I went out and bought a food processor before making Indian food for the first time. There was no way I was going to finely chop all those veggies by hand! Spritz a large frying pan with cooking oil and heat on medium high. Add cubed tofu and fry until all sides are brown. Remove tofu cubes from pan, place aside and add processed onions to same pan. Fry, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until almost brown. While browning the onions, open all the nearby windows and/or doors. When ready, add saved marinade to onions and run away from the pan. Concentrated spices = stinging in eyes! Come back and stir the mixture until shiny, or reduced slightly. Stir in water and cook mixture into a paste. Add the cooked tofu back to the pan and bring everything back to a boil for two minutes. Remove from heat, let sit ~15 minutes and add the brown sugar to cut the sourness.

Here is the final product served with Trader Joe’s Naan. Yummy!

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