Spicy Pineapple Coconut Curry Tofu! Whew!

Hello again, my lovelies! Hope you're all doing well and ready for your summer. The title of this post is definitely a mouthful. It was a delicious mouthful, though...I promise. I made it last night for dinner and thought I'd share with you.

Normally, I wouldn't make such a hot dish in 80+ degree weather, but you already know how it goes when I have a curry craving! It's the daggone Trini in me!  

So...a little backstory. This dish was inspired by a lunch date that I had with the hubbs about a month ago. We went to a vegan restaurant in Atlanta called Loving Hut, and he had some kind of veggie-coconutty-curry sauce dish thingy that he was having some kind of love affair with. It smelled amazing, and I made a mental note to make something similar at home. I gathered what I thought might make a similar dish and went into the lab! 

If you're new to tofu, it's made from soybeans. It has no taste/flavor, and basically takes on the flavors of whatever you season it with. You can scramble it, bake it, fry it, grill it, put it in smoothies and desserts...do whatcha like! I don't eat soy frequently anymore because of its high estrogen content, and the fact that most soy in this country is a GMO (genetically modified organism). However, when I do, I make sure it's non-GMO and organic. Got it? Cool. 

Everything was going perfectly...until I broke my own cardinal rule. More on that later. Here's how to make it.

Nikki's Pineapple Coconut Curry Tofu

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

14 oz firm or extra firm organic tofu, drained 

2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/4 cup organic coconut cream or milk (not the carton stuff!) I use Native Forest brand

1/4 cup water

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

2 Tbsp curry powder (or to taste)

1 tsp ground cumin

2 Tbsp tamari sauce, divided in half

1 habanero pepper, chopped (or milder pepper if preferred)

4 Tbsp pineapple juice

4 Tbsp crushed pineapple

3 stalks green onion, chopped (including white part)

Himalayan or sea salt to taste

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

How to make it

*Heat oils in frying pan

*Press tofu between paper towels to remove extra moisture

*Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes

*Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper into frying pan, and sauté garlic until lightly browned.

*Remove garlic and place in bowl

*Place tofu in large frying pan and brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes each side over medium heat

*While tofu is cooking, combine coconut milk, water, curry powder, cumin, pineapple and juice, habanero pepper, and 1 Tbsp tamari sauce in bowl. Whisk together.

*Transfer cooked tofu to bowl with garlic. Add chopped green onions and remaining tamari sauce. Combine well.

*Return tofu to pan and add sauce. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 10 minutes to combine flavors. 

Serve with cooked brown rice, quinoa, couscous, potatoes...or in this case, I made rice noodles for the teenager. He was quite happy.

I have to admit...it came out pretty freaking good. I was feeling myself. Literally...I felt an eyelash or something go into my eye, and went to remove it. The burn that ensued was indescribable. I was pretty sure I had washed my hands after chopping the habanero pepper. After all, this wasn't my first hot pepper rodeo. I always tell my clients and my friends to wash their hands with soap after handling hot peppers. Thoroughly. None of that mattered at that moment because my right eye was on fire.  A quick spray of water later from my retractable kitchen faucet, and all was well again. The joys of being a chef =)

Until next time,

Love and Happiness,

Nikki