Coconut Curry with Tofu "Scallops"

I made this coconut curry the other night with little tofu “scallops” and Mr. RK had two helpings.  Generally, he’s not a fan of Indian food so I took it as a huge compliment.  I amped up the curry with some some pureed spinach and tomatoes and served it with a scoop of brown rice cooked with a tablespoon of coconut butter.

Note to self: Do not cook curry in the cast iron frying pan again..or the house will smell like curry for 3 days and all other foods cooked in the pan will taste like curry.  Use the enameled pot.

I started off by cutting a block of tofu in half and then sliced each half into two pieces so it’s half as thick as the original block.  Then I used a small plastic scoop with it’s handle cut off for the “scallop” shape.

Then I cut a # pattern into the top and bottom of each “scallop” about 1/4 inch deep.  This gives them a more textured surface, to allow the marinade to soak in. Let the tofu marinate in some soy sauce and broth while you make the curry.  Turn them once after about 15 minutes.

While the tofu was marinating, chop up some garlic, ginger 
and the white parts of some green onions. 

I sauteed these in some sesame oil and then added curry paste, a can of coconut milk, curry powder and some salt.  I pureed a big handful of spinach and a tomato in a half cup of broth in a food processor before adding it to the coconut milk mixture.  Then, I let everything simmer while I fried the tofu “scallops”.  I used the onion greens as a garnish.

Coconut Curry with Tofu “Scallops”

Makes 4 servings - Use organic ingredients whenever possible

For the Tofu “Scallops”:

1 package extra firm tofu

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon vegetable broth

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Cut a block of tofu in half and sliced each half into two pieces so it’s half as thick as the original block.

Using a small cookie cutter or coffee scoop, cut eight rounds.

Cut a # pattern into the top and bottom of each round.

Marinate the rounds for a half hour or more in the soy sauce and broth, turning once.

Fry the tofu in the sesame oil on a medium high heat until they are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

For the Coconut Curry:

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

3 green onions

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon red chili paste (or more if you can take the heat)

1 can coconut milk

2 tablespoons mild curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup vegetable broth (I use Imagine Un-Chicken broth)

1 cup spinach, tightly packed

1 tomato, stem removed and cut in quarters

Heat the oil in a pot or pan over low heat.

Chop up the white parts of three green onions and reserve the greens for garnish.

Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and saute for 5 minutes.

Add the red chili paste to the vegetables, smashing it with a spoon to break it up.

Add the coconut milk, salt and curry powder and stir.

In a food processor or blender, puree the spinach and tomato in the broth.

Add the pureed spinach mixture to the coconut milk mixture and simmer until thickened.

To serve - divide the curry into four plates or wide bowls.  Add the tofu scallops and a scoop of rice and some onion greens for garnish.