‘Simple ingredients prepared in a simple way – that’s the best way to take your everyday cooking to a higher level’ – Jose Andres
I adapted this recipe from one I found in Bon Appetit. I love the braising technique as it adds a huge amount of flavour to the food and decreases the need for cooking using oil. It leaves the food moist (making it one of the favoured Ayurvedic cooking techniques) and with a flavourful liquid that can be used like a sauce or slurped directly from the bowl at the end of the meal.
If you prefer your sauce a little stickier, like Mr B, add a little cornflour slurry (1 tsp of cornflower with 1/2 cup water) and this will thicken it up.
I served this with Carolina Gold Rice which I had purchased from Anson Mills, a company dedicated to bringing heritage grains and flour back, beneficial for flavour, crop diversity, health and the integrity of farming.
Ingredients
Serving: 2-4 servings
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 peppers, ribs/seeds removed, sliced
- 1 red chili, deseeded, sliced (optional)
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1-inch ginger, peeled, grated
- 1 packet, firm organic tofu, cut into cubes
- 2/3 cup mirin
- ½ cup. Tamari
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- Salt to taste
Method
- Heat oil on a medium-low heat. Cook the peppers, chilli for a few minutes until soft (3-5 minutes)
- Add shallots, garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes, c.2 minutes until fragrant
- Add tofu, mirin, tamari, vinegar and ¼ cup water
- Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook till braising liquid has reduced by half, basting and turning the tofu often to make sure the flavor is evenly distributed
- Season with salt at the end
- Serve with rice
