Tofu With Yoghurt and Vegetables

I was going for something North African inspired, and the results were pretty good. Since Danny had the allergic reaction to (we think) the sesame, that has changed the way I treat tofu (usually with sesame oil and hoisan). I've used THIS recipe for cumin/yoghurt marinated tofu before and it worked well, but this time I took the idea and gave it a bit different treatment. Isn't that what cooking is about?

Make the tofu ahead and keep it chilled in the fridge to be tossed into the vegetables in the last few minutes of cooking. Or, cook it all at once if you're determined to wear yourself out cooking. Your call ;)

I served this dish over cous cous prepared with diced dried apricots and raisins.


You Will Need:

For the tofu:

1 block extra-firm tofu, rinsed and pressed free of as much water as possible
Olive oil
yoghurt (about a cup of plain)
ground cumin
salt

Heat a small amount (a couple tablespoons) of olive oil in a cast iron pan or other heavy pan. Cube the tofu and fry it until it is golden on all sides. Remove to a bowl.

Mix about a cup of plain yoghurt with a glug of olive oil, some salt and a couple tablespoons of ground cumin (use your tastes as a guide). Coat the pieces well and let stand about five minutes. Re-heat the pan with a bit more oil and with a slotted spoon, remove the tofu letting excess liquid drain back in the bowl and fry over medium heat until the wetness has evaporated and the tofu chunks are somewhat browned on the outside. Remove to a plate and chill until needed to assemble the dinner.

For the vegetables:

4 large carrots, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon preserved lemon rind, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon mild chili powder (if I were making this for "grown-ups" I would have used more heat)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
Salt and Pepper to taste
Peas, small pea pods and any other remnant from the garden lurking in your veggie bins (I had about a dozen pods to use)

Heat some olive oil ( a few tablespoons) in a large frying pan and cook everything until tender. I prefer my parsley a bit on the cooked side, but you can reserve some for sprinkling at the end if you like.

In the last few minutes of cooking, add the tofu and re-warm it through. Serve hot over cous cous with extra yoghurt if you like.