Mustard Tofu

[Disclaimer: This recipe is exclusively for mustard lovers].

As more and more requests for vegetarian recipes poured in, this week I decided to experiment with another commonly found vegetarian ingredient in American groceries, Tofu.

Tofu, commonly referred to as the soy-version of Paneer by Indians, is a cheese-like product made from soymilk. Tofu, is also often frowned upon by meat-lovers [including my husband ;-)]. So, it is always a challenge for me to turn this ingredient into a delicious dish that hubby would appreciate. Although the method of making tofu may be similar to that of Paneer, my taste buds find it similar to that of cooked egg.

I decided to cook a very simple Bengali style recipe that my mom used to make with eggs. In general, I do not cook deep-fried tofu at home because it consumes too much oil—as a result, the healthy good feeling that I get from eating Tofu gets replaced by guilt of eating fried food (on top of the guilt for not taking out enough time to exercise) .☺

Ingredients:
Organic firm tofu - 1 packet
Turmeric
Salt
Mustard seeds - 1/2 cup
Poppy seeds (optional)
Green chillies 8-10
Olive oil

Before starting the dish, I first sautéed some asparagus spears with olive oil, garlic powder and salt on high flame. I know you are thinking that the ingredients mentioned above do not have asparagus, right? Well, this was actually a side dish I made to keep my little one busy with munching while I enjoyed making my Tofu dish ;-). For mom with independent toddlers, who do not mind eating greens as long as they can eat it themselves, try giving sautéed asparagus spears to your little one and experience the satisfaction if it works!

Anyways, back to my Tofu recipe. I soaked half cup of black mustard seeds, green chillies, a pinch of turmeric and about 2tsp of salt in the pot of the magic bullet grinder. I let this mixture get happy for about 10-15 minutes, after which I ground this mixture to a smooth paste. This is the traditional mustard paste that Bengalis worldwide use in their cooking. In the cofee grinder, I ground about 4tbsp of poppy seeds. The grinding action kept the toddler in the house totally engrossed.

Meanwhile, I cut the Tofu in squares and heated some olive oil in a frying pan. When the oil was warm enough, I threw in a pinch of salt and turmeric to the pan and added the tofu squares. This would add a nice color. After shallow frying the tofu for about 1-2 minutes each side, 2-3 tbsp of the mustard sauce, a little water and ground poppy seeds were added. When the sauce thickened, I checked the salt and added some chopped cilantro and fresh tomatoes. I served this with white basmati rice.

Even my meat lover husband agreed this was yummy! Yay!

(Note: I prefer making my fresh ground mustard paste because it just elevates this dish to a different level. I make this paste and freeze it so I can use it later on. If you are feeling lethargic, feel free to use pre-ground mustard powder and make a paste in water and add chopped chillies. I have also heard some people use Dijon mustard but remember that will impart a sour taste to your dish. Also, if you find black mustard too pungent, either try yellow mustard or mix black and yellow mustard seeds.)