Indian Tofu

Name: Indian Tofu
Yield: serves 2
Ingredients: Olive oil spray; 1 cup basmati rice; 6 to 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed; 1/2 cup dry red wine; 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped; 1/2 teaspoon garam masala; 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/8 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 medium onion, chopped; One 15-ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed; 1 large Anaheim green chile, roasted, stemmed, seeded, peeled, and chopped (see headnote); 2 cups bite-size cauliflower florets; 1/2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thickly sliced (about 2 cups); 2 or 3 medium tomatoes, diced, or one 14-ounce can, drained and chopped

December 9, 2011

You can control the amount of heat in this meal with the types and amounts of chile peppers. I like the spectrum of flavors that results from mixing roasted with fresh chiles. To roast a chile pepper, you can treat it as you would a marshmallow when camping, using tongs or a long fork to rotate it over a low flame on a gas burner. However, a safer chile-roasting method is to place the chile on a baking sheet and slide it under the broiler for just a few minutes. When charred on all sides, place the chile in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The steaming will loosen the skin, making it easy to remove. Peel, stem, and seed roasted peppers before using. See page 168 for a discussion on preparing tofu.

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