Ingredients

The following ingredients have 2 Servings
  • 4 tsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced finely
  • 2 garlic cloves, diced finely
  • 1 pointy red pepper, deseeded and sliced thinly
  • 3 green Mehmet sweet Turkish peppers OR green bell pepper, deseeded and sliced thinly
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp smoked sweet paprika
  • 400 g / 14 oz can of quality plum skinned tomatoes (OR 3 medium ripe tomatoes)
  • ½ tsp salt, adjust to taste
  • 200 g / 7 oz firm silken tofu (I use this one)
  • ¼ tsp kala namak** (black Indian salt)
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp date syrup, shop-bought or homemade or sugar, adjust to taste (optional)
  • fresh parsley, chopped finely
  • Urfa* chilli or mild pul biber chilli flakes, adjust to taste

Instruction

  • Heat up olive oil in a large pan, on a low-medium heat. Add chopped onion and fry, stirring frequently, until it softens and becomes almost translucent.
  • Add chopped garlic and sliced peppers and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic becomes fragrant and peppers soften.
  • Stir in cumin and smoked paprika. Fry them off gently for about a minute, stirring the whole time.
  • Stir in tomatoes, their juices and a can's worth of water (I rinse my can with water and add it to the pan). Season with salt and allow the sauce to reduce on a low heat, giving it a stir every now and then.
  • Drain tofu and break it up with a spoon until you get small and medium-size chunks. Season it with black salt and a few pinches of turmeric and set aside.
  • Once the sauce has thickened, taste it and season with a bit more salt (if needed) and black pepper. If your tomatoes are tangy, you may want to balance the flavour with a little date syrup or sugar. I used 1 tsp of homemade date syrup.
  • Place seasoned tofu on the sauce and pop a lid on to allow the tofu to warm up a little. For extra plant protein, feel free to add a cup of cooked chickpeas at this stage.
  • Serve with some toasted Turkish (or sourdough) bread on the side, sprinkled with fresh parsley and Urfa chilli flakes.