I had a craving for Indian food. But I also needed to clear out my fridge and pantry. Hence, this creation happened. I threw together a bunch of vegtables – snow peas, cauliflower, carrots, onions and peas with some tofu that I browned on a skillet and simmered it in a spicy blend of fire roasted tomatoes, garam masala spices, ginger, garlic and cashew cream. The result was a fabulous dish that I could eat all week long.
I call this a “throw in whatever you have on hand” meal. Feel free to throw together whichever vegetables you have in your fridge. Generally, cauliflower, peas, carrots, potatoes or green beans work well, but I also had some snow peas on hand and the carrots I had were in sticks.
The dish is packed with nutrients from the veggies, protein from the tofu and healthy fats from the cashew cream. You can eat this on its own as a one-pot meal with rice, roti, bread or any grain, or you can have it as part of an Indian meal with dal and other veggies.
Garam Masala
This isn’t your traditional restaurant korma, because it lacks fennel seeds. But I did use whole garam masala spices. I find this to be much more flavorful and easier on the stomach than garam masala powder. Just add in whole peppercorns, cardamom, cloves and 1/2 a stick of cinnamon. The result is so fragrant.
Tofu and Mixed Vegetable Korma (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 block firm tofu
- 1 small cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1/3 cup raw cashews soaked for an hour in water
- 1/2 cup snow peas (or green beans), cut in half
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 handful carrot sticks for color (or 1-2 carrots, cut finely)
Spices
- 1/2 stick cinnamon
- 3-4 pods cardamom
- 3-4 cloves
- 3-4 whole peppercorns
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1-2 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp kasuri methi
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp sugar (I use coconut sugar)
Instructions
Prepare the Tofu
- Drain and press the tofu to remove excess water. Chop into cubes.
- Brown the tofu slightly on a skillet with a few tbsps of oil. It does not have to be super crispy, so just a couple minutes on each side should suffice.
- Set tofu aside on a towel lined plate.
Prepare the masala
- In a skillet, heat 2-3 tbsp of a mild oil like sunflower.
- Add 1 tsp of cumin seeds.
- Once cumin seeds sputter, add healthy 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste (or 1 clove garlic and 1/2 tsp ginger grated), and onion.
- Add the whole garam masala spices: clove, peppercorn, cardamom, cinnamon, and saute for a few minutes.
- Add red chili powder and turmeric and stir the mixture.
- Add the can of fire roasted tomatoes, stir to combine and allow this to cook down for 3-5 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of water and 1 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar (I use coconut sugar). The sugar will cut some of the acidity when using canned tomatoes.
- Simmer the sauce on medium for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower and cover, simmer for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the florets are cooked through.
- Add the thawed peas, snow peas and carrot sticks. Stir to combine, cover and simmer for another few minutes. These vegetables do not take long to cook. If the mixture looks like it needs more water, add a little at a time.
Prepare the cashew cream
- In a separate bullet blender, blend 1/3 cup cashews with 1/2 cup water. Blend until it is a creamy consistency.
Finish the dish
- Add the cashew cream to the dish. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle some kasuri methi on top (optional)
- Adjust salt as appropriate and garnish with cilantro.
Notes
- Feel free to use whichever vegetables you have on hand, noting that cooking times may vary depending on the vegetable.
- If you do not have the whole spices, you can use 1/2 -1 tsp of ground garam masala powder.
- Parboiling the cauliflower will reduce the cooking time by at least 10 minutes
