One my goals for November that I’m starting early is to get back into blogging recipes that I try. I used to try new recipes a couple times a week, and over time, I just sort of stopped. No fun. Everyone loves to read about me cook random crap, right? Right! So without further ado, I bring you: CURRY.
I’ve never made any sort of curry before in my life. I don’t even know what curry powder IS. No joke. I know that it’s in the spice aisle between cumin and dill. I know that it’s yellow. And I know that it tastes like Indian food! (*facepalm*) But what IS it? Thankfully, Wikipedia’s IQ blows mine out of the water, and as such, can let me know.
Most recipes and producers of curry powder usually include coriander, turmeric, cumin, and fenugreek in their blends. Depending on the recipe, additional ingredients such as ginger, garlic, fennel seed, cinnamon, clove, mustard seed, green cardamom, black cardamom, mace, nutmeg, red pepper, long pepper, and black pepper may also be added.
Cool.
I used this recipe here, pretty much to a T.
The end result? Not too bad. Not omfgamazing, but pretty good. To be honest, not worth the 7 points, in my book, but hey, if you’re really into curry, you should try the recipe. I’d recommend beefing it up a big with more vegetables.
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I started with a package of pre-cubed tofu. I poured the water out and tried to squeeze out the rest by patting the tofu down with paper towels.
I probably could have done a better job with it (people talk about putting a heavy object on top of the tofu and letting it sit and drain for a couple hours, but mine was already pre-cubed, and who wants to wait 2 hours to eat?), but it ended up being fine. Into the skillet it goes, with a teaspoon of olive oil and some S&P:
After it’s browned on all sides, I put the tofu aside in a separate bowl, and started browning a cut up small onion along with some garlic.
Then I added in a can of coconut milk (unsweetened), 2 teaspoons of said magical curry powder, and some red pepper flakes. I put in a bit more salt and pep, too. This simmered for a while, and then I added the tofu back in.
Let this simmer for another 15 minutes, and voila: tofu curry!
For all you WWs out there, 1/4 of this recipe comes out to 7 points – a bit much, if you ask me. Mostly because of the coconut milk. Next time, I’m looking for a reduced fat version. Although who knows if there will be a next time. I’m just not the hugest fan of curry, I don’t think. I’m not actually a big fan of tofu either, come to think of it. Hell, why did I make this crap in the first place? At least it’s another notch on my culinary bedpost. Curry, you hussy you!
12 Comments
October 22, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Hahaha, I definitely enjoyed reading your recap of making random crap – I was cracking up, for sure!
If you do end up trying this again, there is light coconut milk out there that would definitely save on calories. Also, raisins are killer in the sauce. Yum.
Have a great night!
October 22, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I need to find some pre cubed tofu, I hate cubing it myself, that’s why I never buy it!! hhah
October 22, 2009 at 10:50 pm
I’m really bad at squeezing the water out of my tofu. I’ll probably buy the precubed kind next time I make a tofu dish.
Looking forward to new recipes from you!
October 23, 2009 at 12:02 am
Well you know I will not be trying that recipe. *Ahem* tofu… but it looks pretty. I’ve been wondering what curry is myself. They eat a ton of it here in Japan. Seriously! Now I know. Thank you for today’s enlightenment.
October 23, 2009 at 1:31 am
You are so funny! I always look at curry like the food that tastes good while I’m eating it but gives me hell almost immediately after. It is a hussy!
October 23, 2009 at 5:07 am
Great job trying a new recipe. I hate spicy foods and curry and I have been enemies for years. I don’t like sweating while I eat.
I’ll admit it looks good though
October 23, 2009 at 8:12 am
So is curry a hot spice? Hmmm, I do like hot foods, but I’m not sure I’ve ever knowingly eaten curry. Well, I am sure I did the one time I ate at a Indian restaurant, and although it was good, the dish I had was heavily spiced with cinnamon…and well… cinnamon belongs on sweet stuff, not on my meat. So I was intrigued, but also kinda weirded out too. Big kudos on trying something new…you stepped way more out of your box than I ever did! Just recently tried couscous for the first time….LOVE IT!! It wasn’t that far out of my box, as it’s a pasta like substance and I love all things pasta!!
October 23, 2009 at 10:09 am
Trader Joe’s makes an awesome light coconut milk just for future reference
October 23, 2009 at 10:28 am
I don’t think curry is particularly spicy on its own – it really depends on what gets added to it, I think. Let us make you some thai curry, if you might be interested in ever trying it again. I feel like that recipe you used might be missing some of the spices that would give the curry that kick that it needs. (I’m not even talking spicy hot kick, just a flavor kick.)
October 23, 2009 at 12:14 pm
The curry I used actually isn’t spicy at all on its own. The recipe specifically said that this was a very mild dish. I added some paprika, cayenne, and red pepper flakes (not too much of any of the above; I didn’t want to make it too spicy) and it definitely made it more flavorful – not too spicy, but just added some flavor. Still not totally amazing, but fairly yummy =) I think also, if I had made it with chicken, I would have liked it a lot more. Or if I had added some more vegetables. =)
October 23, 2009 at 10:54 am
I’ve never made anything with curry either. The one time curry was listed in a recipe, I went the store and bought cumin instead. Oops!
October 25, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I totally love curry dishes … so I might have to try this one!