Food talk
Tofu takes the cake

Soaked in rich spicy gravy or paired with vegetables, tofu can be relished in all avatars,
writes Pushpesh Pant

Those who love poetry and are familiar with poignant lines penned many moons ago — evoking music of flutes played by the wind rustling through a bamboo thicket — know of the man called To Fu. One can’t deny the great man his genius but there are philistines like us who recognise only one tofu- bean curd, delicious and nutritious beyond compare. Some scientists seek to explain the fondness — bordering on addiction — of the denizens of the Middle Kingdom for this stuff by suggesting that the Chinese lack the enzyme that digests dairy products and that’s the reason they have to rely on the Soya-based substitute. We aren’t least interested in solving this riddle and are content-devouring it in all its forms — silken, pock-marked et al. Good friend Baba Ling of Nanking in Bombay fame serves a very satisfying yet light fried bean curd at his eatery in Vasant Kunj in the capital with a honey-flavoured sauce and we have long tried-unsuccessfully to replicate the recipe at home. The other exotic varieties of tofu are not easily available in India so we have had to make do with whatever is available. Times are changing and much better quality is now seen on the shelves. This is the reason why we are remembering this foreign friend in the fortnight when almost the entire nation turns shakahari.

Many friends expect tofu to taste just like paneer and are disappointed when the imagined is not encountered. We feel that this is an unfair comparison. Tofu may lack the milky taste or paneer/chhena’s crumbly texture but it is not without charm of its own. Paneer can swing between extremes — melt in the mouth softness to stringy chewy meanness. Tofu is far more consistent. You can drench it in rich spicy gravy or pair it with vegetables of choice it doesn’t soak any flavour. It is ordered routinely by vegetarians only because they don’t have a choice. To tell you the truth, paneer is beginning to`A0jade even the most tolerant palate by over-exposure.`A0

You can’t escape it however hard you may try. The charms of matar paneer haven’t faded,`A0despite its age and saag paneer, paneer ke tikke, shahi paneer and paneer ki bhurji are no less popular. Be warned, if you try any of these recipes with tofu, it will not be Hindi-Chini bhai bhai but unalloyed hai hai. We aren’t suggesting that you must cook it the Chinese or in Chindian style. Just take care to use a recipe that allows the tofu to stand out. Tamatar chaman from the Kashmir repertoire has inspired this recipe but doesn’t imitate the original blindly.

Tofu tamatar

Tofu (cut into bite size cubes) 500 gm

Tomatoes (pureed) 500 gm

Kashmiri red chillies 1 tsp

Sugar 1 tbsp

Vinegar 1 tbsp

Oil 2 tbsp

Chinese five-spice powder (or dried mixed herbs) 1 tsp

Salt to taste

A pinch of turmeric

Heat oil in a saucepan. Pour in the tomato puree. Add sugar dissolved in vinegar, along with turmeric and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and keep stirring regularly. Put in tofu, sprinkle the five spice powder and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from flame when the desired thickness is obtained.`A0Enjoy with rice or roti without any guilty conscience. Totally fat-free and rich in proteins.

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