Tomatoes 2: Garam Masala with Tomatoes and Tofu

My neighbor, The Extraordinary Gardener, always suggests the best Indian recipes. When I wondered aloud, how am I going to use all these tomatoes for dinner this week?, she mentioned that she had just made a recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking, Chicken with Tomatoes and Garam Masala.

The seasonings below are taken exactly from the cookbook's chicken recipe but, except for the tomatoes, I changed up all of the other ingredients, substituting garbanzo beans and tofu for the chicken and adding zucchini. (steps are mine - I got lazy while hand-copying the recipe)

Interesting thing about Indian seasonings - you can change just a couple of the spices and end up with an entirely different flavor. We use garam masala a lot, but the blend of spices in this recipe gave a whole new dimension and richness. The cardamom pods and cinnamon are wonderfully aromatic while this is cooking.

Garam Masala with Tomatoes and Tofu

5 Tblsp. vegetable oil

3/4 tsp. whole cumin seeds

1 inch stick cinnamon

6 whole cardamom pods

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp. whole peppercorns (can sub ground pepper if you hate chewing on the peppercorns like I do)

6-7 cloves garlic, minced

6 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped 

To peel the tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in whole tomatoes and let sit in the water for about 45-60 seconds. Peels will come off easily under running cool water.

1 package extra-firm tofu

1 (16 oz) can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne

1/2 tsp. garam masala blend

Heat oil in dutch oven or other largish pan, medium heat. Add spices (cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, and peppercorns). Allow to warm/pop for 1-2 minutes until your kitchen smells like an Indian restaurant.

Meanwhile, in another pan, or on the grill, cook the tofu. I drained, tossed with some garam masala powder, salt and pepper, and cooked on the stovetop just until some of the moisture was gone and flavors mixed. Put aside.

Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Add the garbanzo beans and zucchini, cover and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until zucchini starts to change color and look cooked. Add the tomatoes and the cooked tofu. Cover and allow to cook another few minutes. Add the remaining seasonings, stir, and allow to cook another 1-2 minutes. Whole spices should be removed before serving.  

Serve with rice. (serves 4)

Tomorrow, we're trying Theresa's grilled pizza! Wish me luck.