When I was growing up, our family treat on a Saturday night was a Chinese takeaway. We’d drive 15 minutes to our nearest town to get it and the way back was agony. The smell of the curry and rice was so mighty, it penetrated the car upholstery and sent us flying down little country roads in anticipation. At home, no one talked while we ate like beasts, slinging spoons into the foil containers until, finally sated, we stopped to watch Blind Date. Twenty-six years later and now with my own family, we still love Chinese food on Saturday night, but with no local takeaway, I make it at home (and we’ve swapped Blind Date for Gladiators).
Chinese takeaway-style tofu and vegetable curry
Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 4
450g extra-firm tofu, drained
6½ tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp white miso paste – I like Miso Tasty
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 large brown onion, peeled and cut into 2½cm x 2½cm pieces
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1½ tbsp mild curry powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
¾ tsp ground ginger
2 carrots (about 200g), peeled and cut into ½cm-thick rounds
200g Tenderstem, florets kept whole, stems cut into 1cm lengths
150g frozen petit pois, defrosted
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp light soy sauce
Cooked jasmine rice, to serve
First, press the tofu with kitchen towel to remove any excess water, then cut it into 2cm x 2cm cubes and put in a bowl. Add five tablespoons of the cornflour, stir to coat, then set aside.
Put the remaining tablespoon and a half of cornflour in a small bowl, add two tablespoons of water, mix to combine and put to one side.
To make up the stock, put the miso in a jug, pour over 750ml just-boiled water, mix to dissolve and set aside. Put a large plate to one side of the hob, ready for when you fry the tofu.
Put a large, wide frying pan for which you have a lid on a medium heat and add the oil. Shake any excess cornflour off the tofu, then put the cubes in the pan in a single layer (depending on the size of the pan, you may need to cook the tofu in two batches) and fry for about six minutes, turning every other minute, until pale golden all over. Keeping the pan on the heat, use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried tofu to the plate by the side of the hob.
Add the onion to the hot pan and cook, stirring and separating the petals as you do so, for about six minutes, until coloured. Add the garlic, cook for two minutes, then stir in the spices.
Add the carrots to the pan, pour in the miso stock, pop on the lid and leave to simmer for 12 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the Tenderstem, pop the lid back on and cook for another three minutes. Finally, add the peas, cornflour paste, fried tofu, sugar and soy sauce, stir well to combine, then leave to simmer with the lid off for another five minutes, until the sauce has thickened and everything is hot.
Take off the heat and serve at once with rice.
