Posted in Recipes on 10.01.2019
Healthy Indian Takeaway
prep: 15 mins / cook: 30 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 45 mins / quantity: 4 servings Print recipe?
Crisp, succulent tofu marinated in gorgeous warming spices with vegetable cauliflower fried rice all go in to making this a healthy Indian takeaway.
It’s the New Year right now and the focus everywhere I look is very much on eating healthier and exercising more. I wish I could enjoy exercise. I mean I love walking with Meg. But the idea of running on a treadmill or dissolving into a puddle of sweat after a gruelling spin class makes me shudder a little. Phil loves the gym, goes pretty much every day. Me, I’d rather be thinking about food, cooking food, taking photos of food or writing about food. Failing that I’ll also take curling up with a book or creating something pretty.
We completely overindulged over Christmas though. It’s the same every year. What starts out as “oh it’ll just be a couple of days of over indulgent eating” turns into at least two weeks of “but it’s Christmas” feasting. And feast we did.
And I start to crave ‘honest’ food. Ingredients that don’t have ingredients. Food that I actually make not just open packets.
And I don’t know why but I love marinating tofu. Maybe because it’s like a sponge and so amenable to whatever flavours you put it with. For this healthy Indian takeaway I’ve used some amazingly warming spices and garlic mixed with cooling coconut yoghurt and rich tomato puree for colour and flavour.
I’m also a complete cauliflower rice convert. I love cauliflower anyway – especially when it’s roasted with herbs and spices. Cauliflower rice comes a very close second. Particularly now we have a decent food processor! No more processing tiny amounts in batches. Whole cauliflowers at a time get whizzed up now!
And that’s all cauliflower rice is – just whizzed up cauliflower then fried with your favourite veggies.
Marinating the tofu is the only thing in this dish that takes time, so you do need a little bit of forward planning before you can enjoy your healthy Indian takeaway. After that it’s just 30 minutes to bake the tofu to crispy outside, tender inside bites of spicy heaven. Cooking the cauliflower fried rice can be done towards the end of the cooking time for the tofu, saving a few precious minutes for busy evenings. Healthy (and vegan) isn’t about compromising on taste at all. It doesn’t have to be about long, complicated, faffy dishes either.
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Healthy Indian Takeaway
prep: 15 mins / cook: 30 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 45 mins / quantity: 4 servings
Ingredients
Tofu:
- 4 tblsp coconut yoghurt
- 2 tblsp tomato puree
- 1/2 -1 tsp chilli powder (add more if you love it spicy!)
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- pinch each of salt and pepper
- 1 tsp fresh ginger – peeled and finely grated (can be subbed with 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
- 2 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed
- 400g pack tofu
Cauliflower Rice:
- 1 medium sized head of cauliflower
- 1 tblsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed
- 6 spring onions – thinly sliced into little discs
- 1 red pepper – seeds and stalk discarded and flesh chopped into small chunks
- 2 cups (150g) closed cup mushrooms – thickly sliced
- 1 tblsp soy sauce
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- Salt and pepper
- Optional – freshly chopped chives
Food processor – we love our Magimix!
Instructions
- 12-24 hours before you want to cook the tofu prepare the marinade
- Put the yoghurt, tomato puree, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt, pepper, ginger and garlic into a sealable container and stir together
- Remove the tofu from the package and drain off all the liquid. Pat dry with some kitchen roll then cut into bite sized cubes
- Add to the marinade, gently turning to cover completely, put on the lid then put the tub in the fridge until needed
- Preheat your oven to 200 Fan / 220 C / 425 F / Gas 7 and line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silicon mat
- Lay the tofu in a single layer onto the prepared tray, spacing each piece a little apart. If you have any of the marinade left you can spoon or spread a thin layer of it onto each piece of tofu. Bake for 15 minutes then turn each piece of tofu over and bake for another 15 minutes until crisp and caramelised
- While the tofu is baking prepare your cauliflower rice - remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower, break into florets and whizz in a food processor to a reasonably fine crumb like texture
- In a large frying pan or wok warm the sesame oil then add the cumin and garlic and gently heat for 1 minute
- Add the onions, peppers and mushrooms and saute, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes
- Add the whizzed up cauliflower, soy sauce and veg stock cube and cook for another 2-3 minutes until just cooked. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed
- Spoon the cauliflower rice into bowls and top with the baked pieces of tofu
- If using, sprinkle with a few snips of fresh chives
Some products I used in today's post...
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Hello there! I’m Sam, former Michelin star pastry chef and now your go-to vegan foodie on a mission to make plant-based eating a deliciously easy adventure! From cozy comfort foods to vibrant salads and decadent desserts, there’s something for everyone in my kitchen.
Whether you’re cooking for one or for a houseful I believe food doesn’t have to be complicated to be full of FLAVOUR and I want to show you how. I’ve been a rigorous meal planner for over a decade whilst embracing seasonal ingredients (because that’s where the real flavour is!)
I’m also a dedicated dog mum to Nooch and Baxter and enjoy cooking them homemade treats (many of which are posted here) when I’m not screaming at the tennis or devouring fantasy fiction.
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