In the mood for Indian anyone? Chilli Tofu with Beans and Bok Choy

I was browsing the web for some inspiration and boy, did I find it. I have a stack of recipes to try in the next few weeks. This one is from Meena (http://www.hookedonheat.com) I love Indian food but was always intimidated by it. Meena's recipes are super easy and quick, and the best part is that I had all the ingredients on hand.





1 block of firm tofu, cubed
2 large bunches of bok choy, chopped: green and white parts separated
a big handful of green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate
2-3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp light cooking oil
salt, to taste

Heat about 1 tsp of oil in a deep non-stick wok, and fry cubed tofu till slightly golden all over. Set aside.

Add in remaining oil in the pan and saute garlic and onions till soft and lightly browned. Add in spices and fry for a few seconds.

Throw in chopped tomatoes, season with salt and fry for a few minutes. Add in tomato paste and tamarind extract, and continue to fry, breaking up tomatoes till it starts to dry out and give out oil from the sides.

Add in beans and tofu, and stir fry till beans are cooked but still crisp. Add in bok choy, and stir fry till it starts to wilt. Serve warm.

Vegetarian Bao (Chinese Buns)

These are one of my husband's favorites. You can only get them in Asian bakery or Asian supermarket, but they are not always available...So I've decided to give them a try myself, how hard could it be, right? Turned out not as hard as I thought... Here is the outcome of my BAO experiment...



Dough:

2 TBSP of sugar
1 Package of dry yeast
3/4 cup plus 2 TBSP of warm water (100-110'F)
1 tsp of sesame oil
2 3/4 cup of AP flour

Dissolve sugar and yest in 3/4 cup plus 2 TBSP of warm water, add 2 TBSP of sugar and let it stand for 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp of sesame oil and 2 1/2 cups of AP flour. Kneed the dough adding more flour as needed 1 TBSP at the time. Dough is going to be sticky. Knead for dough 10 minutes till smooth. Spray the surface of the dough with cooking spray, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. After dough rests, cut it in 8 equal pieces and roll it out into circles. Dough should be thinner at the edges and slightly thicker in the center.

Filling:

2TBSP of vegetable oil
1/2 head of cabbage shredded
12 shittake mushrooms, cut in small pieces
1 squares of soy bean cake or bake tofu, you can find it in Asian market, cut in bite sized pieces
1 tsp on sesame oil
3 TBSP of soy sauce
1 tsp of Worchestershire Sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Note: These buns can be filled with many different savory fillings.





Head oil in a pan and add cabbage,mushrooms and baked tofu and saute till soft, add soy sauce & Worchestershire sauce, and cook till soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add sesame oil at the end of cooking. Cool the filling.

After the filling is cooled, assemble the buns. Take the dough rounds, fill them with 2 TBSP of filling, bring up the sides to cover the filling, twist and pinched to seal. Buns will be very full.

You can steam them immediately or put them in the fridge to rest for couple of hours, making sure that they are not sticking together (they will rise in the fridge so I put some wax paper in between them, so they do not stick and tear)

Steam for 10-18 minutes & ENJOY!!!

Tuesday...

Beef with tofu and spicy mobo sauce
Steamed bok choy & steamed rice.





* Marinade for Ground Beef:
* 1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch (can substitute cornstarch)
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* Other:
* 1/4 pound ground beef
* 1 pound regular tofu (medium firmness)
* 1 leek or 3 green onions
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1 tsp Chinese salted black beans (fermented black beans, also called Chinese black beans), or to taste
* 1 Tbsp chili bean paste, or to taste
* 3 Tbsp stock (chicken broth)
* 1 Tbsp cornstarch
* 2 Tbsp water
* 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
* Freshly ground Szechuan pepper
* 2 - 3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, as needed

Preparation:
Mix marinade ingredients. Marinate beef for about 20 minutes.
Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch (1 cm) square cubes.
Chop leek or green onions into short lengths.
Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the marinated pork. Stir-fry beef until the color darkens. Add salt and stir. Add the salted black beans. Mash the beans with a cooking ladle until they blend in well with the meat. Add the chili paste, then the stock, bean curd, and leek or green onions.
Turn down the heat. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes.
While cooking, mix cornstarch, water, and soy sauce together. Add to wok and stir gently. Serve with freshly ground Szechuan pepper.

Steamed Bok choy with oyster sauce.

Clean bok choy and steam it, I used bottle oyster sauce to drizzle over the bok choy ( a little goes a long way as it is very salty)

Serve with steamed white or brown rice.