Indian Style Tofu and Bean Sprouts

I enjoy tofu as a protein source for dinner every couple of weeks.  I already have two favorite tofu recipes, but I always keep my eye out for others.  One of the great things about tofu is that you can cook it FAST and you don't have to worry about dealing with raw meat.

This particular recipe stood out for a couple of reasons:

• not many ingredients and not much ingredient preparation 
• uses bean sprouts which Mark particularly likes (I like them too!)
• different from my typical tofu recipes because it's not spicy

Mark and I love spicy food, but not everyone does, so it's nice to have a good tofu suggestion for those of you out there who are not spicy fans!  This tofu dish has a pleasant mild coconut flavor.  When cooked, the bean sprouts to me taste like noodles.  I served this over brown rice but that really isn't necessary.  This would be great plain with more vegetables on the side.  The original recipe had a few ingredients that I did not have and did not feel like venturing out to find, so I had to modify the recipe to include more standard spices.   If you serve this without rice, you can get this meal together in under 30 minutes- perfect for a busy weeknight!

Indian Style Tofu and Bean Sprouts

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 15-oz package extra firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced (Note: the heat of a jalapeno comes from its seeds, so by taking out the seeds you are not adding very much heat at all to the dish.)
• 12-16 ounces bean sprouts (my bag was 12 ounces)
• 1 cup light coconut milk (from a can--- if you serve this with rice, I recommend using the rest of the coconut milk from the can as some of the cooking liquid for the rice)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Drain the tofu and press with towels to remove as much liquid as possible.  Cut into small cubes and set aside.

2) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add all spices and jalapeno.  Mix for about 30 seconds. 

3)  Add cubed tofu and mix so that the spices coat the tofu.  Cook the tofu, flipping occasionally, until it is lightly browned on most sides.  This should take about 10 minutes.

4)  Add the bean sprouts and coconut milk and stir to combine.  Cook for about 2 minutes until the bean sprouts are wilted and the coconut milk is mostly absorbed (you can cover your skillet for this if you have a cover).

5) Serve hot with cooked brown rice if desired.

(recipe adapted from Veggie Belly)