Stir Fried Tofu in Tamarind Sauce

Ever since I introduced Tofu in to my family diet, I have got hooked to making new Tofu dishes. I came across this wonderful recipe, which tasted amazing even though I had my doubts about using Tamarind in a Chinese recipe. Tasty, healthy and easy to make. Just my kind of food on a busy day. Enjoy 🙂  Happy Cooking ~ Kamakshi

Prep Time : 15 mins                                                                           Cook Time : 15 mins
Serves : 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 500 gms Tofu , cut into bite size pieces
  • 2 -3 Cups Mung Bean Sprouts
  • 1 large Bell Pepper/Capsicum, cut into cubes OR 3 Large Green Chillies ( the ones which are not hot) , cut into cubes
  • 2 Green Onions, Chopped
  • 2 Medium Tomatoes, cut into large cubes
  • 2 tsp Garlic, finely minced
  • 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Aginomoto or Chicken cube
  • Salt to taste
For the Sweet and Sour Tamarind Sauce
  • 4 Tbsp Tamarind Paste (Soak about a golf ball size tamarind ball in 4-5 tbsp of water and get the juice)
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
  • 3 tbsp  Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Soya Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Fish Sauce

METHOD

  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan and stir fry the tofu pieces for 5-10 mins. Gently stir the pieces to make sure that they do not break. The outer cover becomes slightly crisp and the inner part is still soft. Keep aside the fried tofu in a separate plate.
  2. Next heat, another tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Add the garlic, stir fry for about a minute and add the bell pepper, half of the chopped green onions, half of the mung bean sprouts and stir fry on high heat for about 1 min. Then add the tomato cubes and stir for for a minute. ( In this dish, the idea is not to over cook any of the vegetables). Sprinkle Aginomoto and salt on top and mix. Remove the cooked vegetables into a separate plate.
  3. Mix all the ingredients of the tamarind sauce in a small bowl and pour it into the same pan. Let it simmer for 2-3 mins till the sauce starts to thicken. Now, add the tofu pieces and coat the pieces well in the sauce. Add the stir fried vegetables and mix well. Adjust salt and seasonings according to your taste.
  4. Serve immediately  and garnish with the chopped green onions and fresh mung bean sprouts.