Melbourne Holistic Health Group

Published in Recipes - Tofu and Tempeh on 09 October 2011 by Melbourne Holistic Health Group

Tofu and brown rice-sounds very much like what the naturopath would recommend! This is a delicious way to incorporate these foods into your diet, especially if you have been reluctant to cook with tofu. The recipe can be modified to cater for as many people as required - or the leftovers can be taken for lunch.

Pumpkin is one of the best dietary sources of carotenoids which are responsible for the yellow, orange and red colours of many plants. Spinach is also a rich source of betacarotene, although the green pigment chlorophyll in spinach hides the yellow-orange pigment. The carotenoids that are found in pumpkin can be converted to vitamin A, which is responsible for growth and development, immune system function and vision. Carotenoids are also important antioxidants.

The absorption of these carotenoids in the intestines requires a little bit of fat in the meal. Roasting the pumpkin with olive oil not only makes it tastier but in fact enhances the nutritional uptake of the carotenoids. The total fat content of the meal can be reduced by using low fat coconut milk- the pumpkin added creates a lovely thick curry.

Ingredients

• Firm tofu- 150-200g per person
• Pumpkin approximately 200g per person
• Olive oil
• Garlic cloves-1-2 cloves per person, peeled and slightly squashed with the flat of a knife
• Salt and pepper
• 1-2 tins of Light coconut milk (depending on number of people)
• Handful of baby spinach per person
• Red or green curry paste - use according to instructions on label
• Raw cashews - small handful per person
• ½-1 cup of cooked brown rice per person
• Fresh roughly chopped coriander for serving

You will need 

• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
• Large mixing bowl
• Large baking pan
• Serving bowls

Method

Chop the pumpkin and tofu into similar size cubes 2-3 cm (the larger the cubes the longer it takes to cook), add garlic and toss gently in a large bowl with olive oil so as to not break up the tofu, and season with salt and pepper.

Place the tofu and garlic into a baking pan. Bake in a preheated hot oven 180-200 degrees for 1 hour, stirring 2-3 times, (baking may may take longer if larger quantities are used).

Toss the cashews in the oil that has remained in the bowl from the tofu and pumpkin. Add the cashews to the pumpkin and tofu after 40 mins.

In a wok add curry paste and coconut milk. When warm add the baked ingredients and stir occasionally until the pumpkin “mashes” into a sauce with the coconut milk. Taste and add more curry paste if needed. Add the baby spinach and when cooked serve in bowls on brown rice and top with coriander.

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