Indonesian tofu and cauliflower puree

Tonight's dinner will be spicy crispy tofu in an Indonesian style that I believe is traditionally made with cod, and a side of garlicky cheesy pureed cauliflower.

FOR THE TOFU
Get two! whole blocks of firm tofu, drain it, and cut it into 1/2" thick slices. Toss with plenty of homemade curry powder -- I'm sure the type you buy off the shelf would work fine -- lemon juice, a bit of oil, minced garlic, and minced ginger. Then it is dry-fried on a non-stick griddle until it is crispy on all sides and transferred to a plate (done in batches). Then at your leisure, take a bunch of scallions and cut into 1" pieces. Saute in oil. When they begin to get limp, add a handful of roasted peanuts. Then add the tofu and 1/4 cup water, cover, and let heat through. Serve with lemon wedges. I am hoping this will leave us with some leftovers. We'll see.

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER
Take a head of cauliflower. Remove the leaves and center stem. Steam until very tender. Grate half an onion and mince a few cloves of garlic. Saute these in some butter until they are tender but not at all brown. Add the cauliflower, a splash of milk, and about half a cup of whatever cheese you like -- I used odds and ends of mozzarella, a creamy sheep's milk cheese, and some queso fresco -- and puree the whole lot with an immersion blender. Taste and add salt and/or more cheese and butter if you think it needs it. If it's too loose for your taste, heat it until it's thicker. If it's too firm, add more milk.

Posted by redfox at June 02, 2004 08:27 PM (dinner reports) | Comments (2)

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