Tofu Tikka Masalla

I did not bother with a photo because let's face it, there's no way to make it look like anything other than tomato soup with hunks of tofu in it. Use your imagination. There, I knew you could.

That last post with the Scottish jokes got me thinking this would be a good idea-and it was! Granted, curry is kind of difficult to screw-up, but I was working from leftover tomato soup.

The way this would be made (though most people would never admit it) at home would involve a tin of Heinz tomato soup, or (I'm not kidding) ketchup. Well, and they'd use chicken, not tofu. Honestly, I don't have a problem with either, but I wanted to use up the glut of tomato soup in my fridge. I went rather improvisational and haphazard with proportions so again-taste as you go and add accordingly.

You Will Need:

1 block extra firm tofu sliced into five pieces and patted as dry as possible
2 cups thick plain yoghurt (drain through cheesecloth first if too runny)
1 tablespoon garam masalla
a few drops of olive oil


Cooking oil
8 tablespoons ghee
1/8 cup chopped fresh ginger root
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 quart thick tomato soup
1 cup heavy cream
Water to thin, if needed
Garam masalla for finish (about teaspoon)

Mix the yoghurt, garam masalla and oil in a cup. Place a bit in the bottom of a dish and then place the tofu on top. Spread remaining mixture on top of tofu. Cover, and marinate several hours or overnight.

Cook the tofu in a hot pan with a small bit of oil. Cook until it develops a crust. Set aside and cut into chunks.

In a large pot, cook the onion, garlic, and ginger in ghee and a bit of oil (to keep it from scorching). Cook until softened. Stir in spices and cook a bit longer until flavours combine. If it dries out, add a bit more oil. Add tomato soup and a bit of water to thin it if very thick. Add the tofu chunks and cook over the very lowest heat for about twenty minutes. Add the heavy cream and garam masalla and heat just until warmed through. Serve over rice.