Melbourne Holistic Health Group

Published in Recipes - Tofu and Tempeh on 09 October 2011 by Cara Tanner

Serves 2

This is a very delicious and healthy recipe that is great to have in the summer as a side dish to steamed or grilled fish. For those who prefer a richer flavour, try this recipe with half the quantity of tofu and 100g of cubed haloumi cheese pan-fried and added to the tofu. The puy lentils add both flavour and texture and are high in fibre.

Ingredients 

• 200g firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
• Handful of roughly chopped coriander
• 250g (1 punnet) cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ red onion, sliced finely
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ cups of water
• ¼ cup puy lentils (also known as French green lentils)

What you will need

• 1 small saucepan
• 1 large serving bowl
• Paper towels
• 1 medium-sized fry pan
• 1 colander

Method 

Drain the tofu by pressing it gently between sheets of paper towel. Once most of the moisture has been removed, cut the tofu into 2-3cm bite-size pieces and gently toss in the cornstarch until all the cubes are lightly coated. Put aside the tofu till later.

Place lentils in a strainer and rinse thoroughly under cold water.
Add 1½ cups of water to the small saucepan and bring to the boil and add puy Lentils. Boil for 2 or 3 minutes and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until tender. The puy lentils will take approx. 30  minutes to cook.**

While the lentils are cooking, add the red onion, garlic, lemon juice, tomatoes, coriander and 1 tbsp of the olive oil to the serving bowl and toss gently.

When the puy lentils are tender, drain using the colander and add to the serving bowel. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss all the ingredients together.

Now take the tofu cubes that were previously prepared and heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in the medium frypan. Fry the tofu in batches. Make sure all sides are a light brown colour. Drain on paper towel.
Serve salad topped with fried tofu.

**Note. Be sure to start taste testing the lentils for desired tenderness 10 to 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, as overcooked lentils will become mushy.

Return to Tofu Recipes