Photo by Richa Hingle
You know I love Indian food. It was so exciting to get my friend’s new cookbook – Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen – in my hands. In this post, I’m sharing a recipe for Mango Curry Tofu. Her book is packed full of all the information and recipes that you need to fall in love with Indian Cooking.
If you haven’t gone to her site, Vegan Richa, you need to follow her on Facebook right away. Her photos are beautiful both on her blog and in her cookbook. Richa’s recipes are innovative and she does many fusion recipes. You have to check out her awesome pizzas!
There are 10 chapters in Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen. The first one goes over the basics of Indian cooking and shows you around the most used spices and ingredients.
Then the recipes are broken up into breakfast, small plates, dry curries, dals, one-pot meals, main dishes, flatbreads, desserts, and chutneys,
There’s chickpea flour pancakes, samosas, sweet and sour pumpkin, more bean stews than you can imagine, and all the gorgeous Indian breads that you can’t get a vegan version of in most restaurants.
This is a definitive guide to Indian cooking and will help the vegan community – and me – delve further into new flavors and dishes. I recommend that you get a copy for your cookbook collection.
Photo by Richa Hingle
Finally, here’s a delicious recipe for you to try from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen. It was my first-time having mango in a savory Indian dish. What’s the most unusual Indian dish you’ve had?
- 14 ounces firm tofu
- 2 teaspoons safflower or other neutral oil
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup chopped red onion
- 1 (1-inch) knob of ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon safflower or other neutral oil
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves
- 1¼ cups canned or culinary coconut milk
- ¾ cup ripe mango pulp or puree (unsweetened or lightly sweetened canned)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- Generous dash of black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for garnish
- Cut the tofu slab into ½-inch slices. Place them on a clean kitchen towel. Cover with another kitchen towel. Place a 10-pound (approximate) weight on top and let sit for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can use pressed tofu. Cut the tofu slices into ½-inch cubes.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, tilt the skillet so the oil coats it evenly. Add the tofu and cook until lightly brown on some sides, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add the cayenne, cinnamon, garam masala, and salt and mix well to coat. Cook for another 2 minutes and set aside.
- In a blender, combine the onion, ginger, and garlic and blend into a smooth puree with 2 tablespoons of water. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cloves. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the pureed onion and cook until the onion mixture is dry and does not smell raw. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking, 13 to 15 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, mango pulp, salt, and vinegar and mix well. Add the tofu and all the spices from the tofu skillet to the sauce skillet. Add a dash of black pepper.
- Mix, cover and cook until the sauce comes to a boil, 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens and desired consistency is achieved, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and tang. Add ½ teaspoon or more sugar if the mango pulp was not sweet. Garnish with cilantro and a dash of garam masala and serve hot.
Photo by Richa Hingle
Mango Curry Tofu from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen
Mangoes are abundant in India, where they are always juicy and sweet. In the United States, mangoes can be a bit tart. For desserts or curries like this one, I prefer mango pulp or puree in canned or bottled form. You can use a ripe mango, if you prefer, but be sure to puree it well before using. This is a simple recipe but the resulting dish is very alluring with its sweet and spicy sauce. It can easily be made soy-free. (Recipe from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen Copyright © 2015 by Richa Hingle. Used by permission Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.)
Ingredients
TOFU
- 14 ounces firm tofu
- 2 teaspoons safflower or other neutral oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
CURRY
- 3/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1 (1-inch) knob of ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon safflower or other neutral oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves
- 1 1/4 cups canned or culinary coconut milk
- 3/4 cup ripe mango pulp or puree (unsweetened or lightly sweetened canned)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- Generous dash of black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
Tofu:
- Cut the tofu slab into ½-inch slices. Place them on a clean kitchen towel. Cover with another kitchen towel. Place a 10-pound (approximate) weight on top and let sit for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can use pressed tofu. Cut the tofu slices into ½-inch cubes.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, tilt the skillet so the oil coats it evenly. Add the tofu and cook until lightly brown on some sides, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add the cayenne, cinnamon, garam masala, and salt and mix well to coat. Cook for another 2 minutes and set aside.
Curry:
- In a blender, combine the onion, ginger, and garlic and blend into a smooth puree with 2 tablespoons of water. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cloves. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the pureed onion and cook until the onion mixture is dry and does not smell raw. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking, 13 to 15 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, mango pulp, salt, and vinegar and mix well. Add the tofu and all the spices from the tofu skillet to the sauce skillet. Add a dash of black pepper.
- Mix, cover and cook until the sauce comes to a boil, 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens and desired consistency is achieved, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and tang. Add ½ teaspoon or more sugar if the mango pulp was not sweet. Garnish with cilantro and a dash of garam masala and serve hot.
maureen says
We made this last night and it was excellent
Left out the cloves since hubby doesn’t like them.
I would recommend using a food processor over the blender to puree.
Kathy Hester says
That’s a great idea. I tend to use my blender more because it’s easier to clean.
Richa {VeganRicha.com} says
Awesome! so glad you loved it!
Essie says
Nothing is as good as Indian food, with all the wonderful spices. Thanks for this recipe – it sounds delish!
Richa {VeganRicha.com} says
Thank you for the wonderful review Kathy!
Kathy Hester says
You are welcome – it’s a beautiful book!
Erin says
I made this recipe and loved it! It’s great re-heated as well. My boyfriend, however, hates the taste of coconut. Do you think I could use almond milk in replace of the coconut milk?
Kathy Hester says
You can, but the sauce will be much thinner and you’ll lose the coconut flavor.
Tish Aguilar says
I see you say this can be made soy free, but since tofu is made from soy, what is the alternative? I ask because I am not a fan of grilled or roasted tofu. I find it too rubbery.
Kathy Hester says
You could use hemp tofu or substitute chickpeas.