Sri Lankan-Style Tofu Curry
Inspired by a traditional fish curry, this 30-minute Sri Lankan-style tofu curry is full-bodied and spicy with a wonderful kick of sourness.
Servings: 4
Calories: 238kcal
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pan
Ingredients
For the Curry
- 400 g firm tofu pressed well
- ½ teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1½ tablespoon coconut oil or a neutral-flavoured oil
- 2 French shallots peeled and finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- ½ tablespoon ginger minced or finely grated
- 1-2 green chillies finely sliced
- 10 curry leaves a small handful
- 3 large vine-ripened tomatoes chopped
- 1 tbsp +1 tsp tamarind paste
- ½ cup (125 ml) vegetable stock
- 200 ml light coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
Spices
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds crushed
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed
- 1 teaspoon white pepper corns crushed
- ½ teaspoon turmeric ground
- 2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder optional
Instructions
- Press the tofu well (for around 20-30 minutes), cut it into cubes and transfer to a bowl with the cornflour. Toss well to coat and set aside.
- In a mortar and pestle, give the fenugreek, fennel seeds and the white peppercorns a bit of a bash to break them up. You could also do this in a mini food processor or spice grinder.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the crushed seeds and pepper and the curry leaves and stir until the spices pop (about 1 minute). Be careful of the hot oil here.
- Stir in the shallots, garlic, ginger and green chilli and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 5 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the turmeric, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and chilli powder (if using) to the pan and fry for a minute or until fragrant.
- Gently stir in the tofu to coat it in the spices.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tamarind paste and veggie stock (or water) and stir through before adding the coconut milk.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to break down and the sauce thickens.
- Serve with fresh rice.
Notes
- You can use either tamarind paste or concentrate in the recipe. It's a good idea to add a little and taste as you go. The flavour can be stronger or weaker depending on the brand.
- Bashing the fenugreek seeds releases their aroma and means less "big" seeds in your curry but if you don't have a mortar and pestle, it's not compulsory. If you can't crush the white pepper corns, use a half teaspoon of ground white pepper.
- To press the tofu with a pot, check out the set up in my marinated tofu feta post. I have included images to help.
Nutrition
Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 629mg | Potassium: 341mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1077IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 3mg
