Saturday, November 26, 2011

Tamarind Tofu Cabbage Bowl

I recently discovered this really awesome website called goodreads. I've been obsessed with reading recently and with this website you can organize all the books you've read (and rate them), get recommendations for books to read, and have a list of books you plan to read. So much better than my method of randomly writing emails and notes to try and remember. And such a great resource to help me decide on what books I must read next! Very exciting. Let me know if you're on there and we can be book buddies. :)


I don't think I've ever bought tamarind. Not that I don't like it, I just never know what to do with it. And now I have an open package of it in the fridge with no ideas for its use in the future. Well aside from making this tamarind tofu cabbage bowl again, which I should do. Because it was really good. I love sauteed cabbage and really enjoyed it paired with a sweet tangy tamarind sauce in this dish. The tofu and brown rice make it a complete meal.

My only complaint, and really a very small one, is that there wasn't enough sauce. But you'll have leftover tamarind chutney to make extra sauce. I think we ended up using the whole amount of chutney actually, but not with the full amount of soy sauce.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Seitan
Spicy Indian Chickpeas/Chana Masala
Sunflower Rice Bowl
Sweet Potato Badi

Tamarind Tofu Cabbage Bowl
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

Makes 3-4 servings

12 ounce block extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups cooked brown rice (about 3/4 cup uncooked)
1 carrot, grated
7 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Tamarind Chutney (recipe follows)
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

1. Fry the tofu in 1/2 tbsp of oil in a wok until browned on at least 2 sides. Set aside.

2. Combine the rice and carrots in a large bowl and toss well.

3. In a wok, saute the cabbage over high heat in 1/2 tbsp oil until slightly softened and browned in some places. Add the cabbage to the rice and carrots.

4. Make a sauce by mixing the tamarind chutney and soy sauce. Add the sauce and the tofu to the cabbage mixture and gently toss. Top with almonds and serve warm.

Tamarind Chutney

Makes 1/2 cup

2 cups water
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin

In a small saucepan, bring the water, tamarind paste and sugar to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 30 minutes until reduced and thickened. Add the salt, red chili flakes, garam masala, and cumin. Cook for 1 minute more, thenr emove from heat and let cool completely.

14 comments:

Kara @ 365daysand100pounds said...

I'm not a fan of tofu... But this looks yummy!

janet @ the taste space said...

I love tamarind! Definitely check out my site for pad thai (REAL pad thai has tamarind!!) is the obvious choice for tamarind, but we also made tamarind lentils tonight and loved it, as always.

janet @ the taste space said...

Oh, and if you have the tamarind paste (it is really sticky, like dates) as opposed to the syrupy concentrate, that will last forever in your cupboard. No need to keep it in the fridge!

Johanna GGG said...

I never know what to do with tamarind either - have had a pot of it in my fridge for a few years and use it occasionally - pad thai is a great use for it and also my recent tempeh with tamarind marinade was great - love the sound of making a chutney with it - the good reads website sounds good too - must look it up

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets said...

Tamarind and tofu are 2 of my favorite ingredients so I KNOW this will be a hit with my mouth 8).

janet @ the taste space said...

Ack, my links didn't work properly. This is Rob's pad thai: http://www.freepantsonline.com/?p=97

Joanne said...

I LOVE the flavor of tamarind and have used it in a few recipes! I've had an open jar in my fridge for FOREVER and am always looking for new ways to use it. This looks awesome!

Karen | Divine Dinner Party said...

I can only count a few occasions wherein I used tamarind. This recipe just gave me an idea how flavorful tamarind can get. Thanks for sharing this!

Restaurants In Brighton said...

The purple tinge looks so good. simply gorgeous !

Jenn said...

I love tamarind chutney!

Also, thanks so much for the goodread recommendation! I have always wanted to find a site like that!

kickpleat said...

I'm on good reads (I love that site!!) you can add me if you like: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/89170-jeannette

Amee said...

My mom makes tamarind sauce using Apple butter (in the peanut butter jelly aisle) adding those same spices...i'll have to grab the recipe. She makes it and then puts it back in the same jar and stores it in the fridge. It pairs very well with Indian Street foods. :)

Amee said...

heres my goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/friend/i?i=LTM2MDY5NzMyNjY6MzE3

eatme_delicious said...

Ooo tamarind sauce with apple butter sounds amazing!