Pan-Fried Tofu and Green Beans in a Coconut Curry Sauce

It’s raining here in the desert. I have the sliding door open and I'm enjoying a cup of tea. What more could anyone want on a lazy Saturday afternoon. We are now in Arizona, our winter home. On our drive back we took the 101 to hwy 1 from Yachats, Oregon to Ventura Ca. We meandered through small towns that dotted the coast line, the redwoods and the 17 mile drive in Pebble Beach. Everywhere we traveled I would say to my husband, “we should move here”...... In the past the very first thing I did after arriving home would be to call or visit my mom…..This year was different. It has been six months since she passed away and I miss her dearly.

I prepared this tofu dish a few days ago and it was a big hit. Cooking tofu is somewhat similar to cooking chicken or another type of protein. You can grill, bake, stir fry, pan fry and crumble depending on what you are preparing. For this dish I purchased a firm tofu. To get the texture I wanted I squeezed out as much moisture as I could and then pan fried the slices until they were golden brown on the outside. Since tofu is really good at soaking up flavor, I made a coconut curry sauce, added green beans and served over rice.

The coconut curry sauce has been slightly adapted from Simply Recipes.

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce Trader Joe’s super firm tofu
3-1/2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil (divided)
1 tablespoon water
2 cups green beans (cut into 2 to 3 inch piece with ends removed)
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon turmeric
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (chopped)
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk

To prepare:

Drain tofu and remove from package. Wrap several paper towels around the tofu block and weigh down with a heavy skillet, changing paper towels when they become too wet. Do this for approx. 30 minutes. Cut into ½ inch slices. Preheat a non-stick skillet, add 2 tablespoons oil. Set tofu pieces in pan, they should sizzle in the oil. Do not crowd. Let cook about 6 to 7 minutes. Do not turn them until you see that they are browning up the sides. Add more oil if needed. When browned on both sides remove from skillet and set on paper towels, set aside. When cool cut into 1 inch pieces.

In a small bowl combine coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and turmeric, set aside.

Using the same non-stick skillet you used before, add 1 tablespoon oil and green beans, stir-fry until covered, then add water. Cover and let beans cook down until they are crisp-tender and water evaporates, about 2 minutes. Remove from skillet, set aside.

Add ½ tablespoon of oil to pan, then add garlic, ginger and spice mixture, stirring constantly about 1 minute. Add coconut milk, stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover and let cook on low about 15 to 20 minutes. Add tofu and green beans.

Serve over brown or white basmati rice. Enjoy!