January 5, 2011

Under 15 mins: Tofu Makhani

Quick, easy & delicious. That is the mantra for my weeknight cooking. I am especially inclined toward Under 15 mins recipes and one-pot meals. Really, they are life-savers, especially for me where I have to get home, tired for an hour long ultra-fast (pun intended!) VTA train journey from work.

To freshen up my boring weeknight cooking, I ordered myself a couple of Tarla Dalal's recipe books. I like the fact they are tiny and the recipe is never more than a page long. That instantly gives me energy & echoes me back saying - Yes baby, this dish is doable.

One such quick-fix dinner is this absolutely yummy Tofu Makhani. The original recipe was for Paneer Makhani & I replace paneer with healthy tofu. You can very well use Paneer or Tofu based on what is lurking around in your fridge. Be adventurous, add potatoes or any other vegetables to the same sauce. *wink*.

The.Husband raved about this dish and finished the whole thing off. Ah! I love when I don't have left-overs as I generally hate to eat food which is more than a day-long. I wonder if that is good thing or a bad thing. Good becoz I am eating less stale food; Bad becoz I have to cook more often. Blah.


Everybody loves Paneer Makhani - "cubes of Indian Cottage Cheese simmered in a tomato gravy". Here is a healthy alternative to the same which tastes even better than the paneer version. Even the non-tofu-lovers will end up asking for a second helping. I promise. Compliments well with roti or biryani or just plain rice.



Tofu Makhani

Adapted from Tarla Dalal's Cooking Under 10 mins.

Prep Time: 5 minutes 
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup of extra firm tofu, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped (or 2-3 tbsp of onion paste)
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
a pinch of turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder (or less - based on your desired spice-level)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed between the palms
1/2 cup half and half (can use milk or cream instead)
2 tsp oil
a pinch of sugar
salt - to taste

Preparation:

Step 1 - Heat a tsp of oil in a skillet and lightly fry the tofu tubes, until light brown. Keep aside on a plate with a paper towel, to drain out the excess oil.

Step 2 - In the same skillet, add a tsp of oil and saute the chopped onions. Add ginger-garlic paste & stir for couple of minutes till the onions are slightly browned.



Step 3 - Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and tomato puree. Add a cup of water & cook for 3-4 minutes.

Step 4 - Finally add in crushed, dried fenugreek leaves, half & half and a pinch of sugar. Mix well and adjust salt, if required. The gravy will be a bit whitish as soon as you add in the half & half. Not to worry, it will blend in with the spices and the gravy will get that rich tomatoe-y color. :-)


Step 5 - Gently mix in the fried tofu cubes and cook for 2-3 minutes.


Step 6 - Transfer into a bowl and Serve hot.


Sending this as my second entry to Simona's MLLA 31 event, originally started by dear Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.


until next time,
Siri

17 comments :

  1. My mouth is watering, Siri (Geeta)! :) Lovely recipe. Will try soon. Thanks for the SBS pics. :)

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  2. Yummm...Siri!! You hve some patience with the step by step...I can barely manage to post a dish or two...Good luck with your Photoblog..

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  3. A delicious & tasty recipe!
    I too, like to substitute tofu for paneer and vice versa :-)

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  4. The color of the dish is so vibrant and tempting..

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  5. yummmm Siri, this looks so good and done real quick too. Wish u a very happy and prosperous 2011.

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  6. very creamy and delicious dish...very quick recipe indeed....

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  7. New to your blog Siri, glad I found it! You have got a great collection of recipe and this one in particular looks scrumptious!

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  8. A little birdie (aka Sonia@7Spice) just recommended that I check out this recipe, since we were just talking about Tarla Dalal's Cooking Under 10 mins. Thanks!

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  9. SS - Phew! Step-by-Step pics is indeed a lot of effort but totally worth it :-). Thanks babes.

    Archana - Thank you.

    Shri - Thanks Shri. I need all the luck & patience in the world for my project 365. ;-)

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  10. Vanessa - Yup, tofu & paneer are interchangeable in almost every recipe. If I wanna indulge myself in some calories, I would go for Paneer & if I am a bit conscious I go for Tofu. :-)

    Satya - Thank you dearie. that is becoz of the tomato paste & the spices.

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  11. Vandana - Wishing you a very Happy & Healthy 2011 ahead dearie. thanks for dropping by.

    Roshan - well said. :-)

    Kulsum - Welcome to my space Kulsum. pleasure is all mine and thanks for the compliments. Hope to see you around again.

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  12. Swapna - Thanks.

    Sylvie - Could you please give my hugs to the lil birdie for the reco. Tarla Dalal's book is indeed a gem and I hope to post more recipes from that. :-)

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  13. I don't dislike tofu, but I rarely cook it. The under 15 minutes label makes it appealing. I can believe that people would ask for second of this dish. Thanks for contributing again to MLLA!

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  14. Thanks Simona. Glad you liked the recipe. :-)

    Siri

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  15. Love this healthy version of Makhni..
    The clicks are so good..
    http://krithiskitchen.blogspot.com

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  16. The color of d gravy looks very tempting siri..n tofu is always a healthier option...:)

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'Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it' ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Siri

 
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