Milk Street: Cook What You Have: Make a Meal Out of Almost Anything (A Cookbook)

Christopher Kimball, Michelle Locke, Dawn Yanagihara, Wes Martin, Diane Unger, Bianca Borges, Matthew Card, Jennifer Baldino Cox, Ali Zeigler, Connie Miller, Christine Tobin
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Jamaican-Style Tofu Curry

Start to finish: 30 minutes / Servings: 4

In our vegetarian version of Jamaican chicken curry, we turn to pantry basics to mirror the flavors of the classic dish: curry powder, along with allspice or thyme, two ubiquitous seasonings in Jamaican cooking. For the best-tasting curry, include them both if you have them in the cupboard. Coconut milk creates a silky sauce that brings richness to the mild-tasting tofu; be sure to use regular coconut milk, not the light version. For a more substantial curry, add 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced, or 8 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces—or a little of both—along with the onion.

2 teaspoons curry powder

¼ teaspoon ground allspice OR ½ teaspoon dried thyme OR both

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

14-ounce container medium OR firm OR extra-firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into ½-inch cubes

2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil

1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 jalapeño OR serrano chili, stemmed, seeded and minced OR 1 habanero chili, halved

1 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons lime juice

In a small bowl, stir together the curry powder, allspice and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, toss the tofu with 2 teaspoons of the spice mix; set aside. Reserve the remaining spice mix for cooking the curry.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the ginger, the remaining spice mix and the chili; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup water and scrape up any browned bits. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the tofu and bring to a simmer over medium-high; reduce to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the tofu is heated through, about 5 minutes. Off heat, remove and discard the habanero (if used). Stir in the lime juice, then taste and season with salt and pepper.

Optional garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro OR thinly sliced scallions

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