Indian Chinese or Indo Chinese food is uniquely Indian, bears little resemblance to Chinese food, yet the nostalgia of it & the culinary ingenuity makes me immeasurably happy every time I eat it. Known to have originated from the Chinese (Hakka) population in east India, this style of cooking is a beautiful fusion. It uses sauces & cooking styles of Chinese food, along with spices, chutneys & techniques from Indian food. This Indian street food style chili tofu is an emotion, to say the least!
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz block of extra firm tofu - drained, pressed to remove excess water, cut into cubes
- 1 red onion - sliced thinly
- 2 cups of bell peppers - sliced into strips
- 2 stalks of green onions - chopped (bottom inch with root discarded)
- 2 tbsp vegan butter - or oil
- 5 cloves garlic - sliced
- 2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 2 green chillies - halved lengthwise
- ⅓ cup ketchup - I used an Indian brand of hot & sweet ketchup, you could use regular ketchup as well
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp plain white vinegar
- 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar - substitute: more white vinegar
- 1 tbsp kasoori methi - dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp garam masala powder
- 2 tbsp Indian green chutney - store bought mint-coriander chutney works
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger & chillies. Saute until garlic is golden. Then add sliced onions & cook for about 6-8 mins.
- Add bell peppers, kasoori methi & coriander powder. Mix well & cook for 4-5 mins until the peppers begin to soften. add measured ketchup, soy sauce, white vinegar & chinese black vinegar. Toss & cook for 6-8 mins, stirring every few minutes until you have a thick glossy sauce. Add green onions.
- Add green chutney & garam masala. Add ½ cup of water in case the mixture is too thick. Add cubed tofu, gently toss everything together making sure all the veggies & sauce thoroughly coat the tofu.
- Let simmer over medium heat for 10 mins and it’s done!
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Yummy chili tofu!!!!!