Red Lentil And Tofu Curry Recipes

Steps:

• Thinly slice onion and mince garlic. Peel gingerroot and mince. In a sieve rinse lentils and drain. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan cook onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Add gingerroot and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add lentils and water and gently boil, uncovered, until lentils fall apart, about 20 minutes.
• While lentils are boiling, rinse tofu and trim ends. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and gently press between paper towels to remove excess moisture.
• In a small heavy skillet heat remaining tablespoon oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook cumin seeds, stirring, until a shade darker, about 1 minute. Add garam masala, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Stir hot spice oil into lentils and gently stir in tofu cubes. Let curry stand, covered, 5 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Stir in cilantro and salt to taste.
• Serve curry over rice.

Steps:

• Wash the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear. Put lentils in a pot with enough water to cover; bring to a boil, place a cover on the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, adding water during cooking as needed to keep covered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onions in hot oil until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
• Mix curry paste, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, salt, sugar, garlic, and ginger together in a large bowl; stir into the onions. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato puree, remove from heat and stir into the lentils.

Steps:

• Drain tofu, and squeeze water out with your method of choice, being careful not to crumble tofu. Dice tofu and toss with 1 tbsp of curry powder. Set tofu aside and allow it to absorb flavor while prepping vegetables.
• After dicing vegetables, heat oil in the bottom of a stew pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add tofu. Allow tofu to sear until brown for a couple of mins, then turn them and allow the other sides to brown. Add diced onion, garlic, and bell pepper, and saute until onions are translucent. I like my carrots soft, so I microwave or boil them for a few mins before adding them, but feel free to add them straight in if you like.
• Add coconut milk, the remaining curry powder, cinnamon stick, and water, increase heat to medium high, and stir. While curry is coming to a simmer, rinse lentils well in a colander and add when a simmer is achieved. Simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, or until lentils are cooked soft to the tooth. If your family prefers a thicker consistency, add water/corn starch mixture now and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and add peas. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste, and serve with or without rice. Garnish with crumbled cashews if desired.