I spent the Central Asian holiday 'Nauryz' with my dear friends Slava and Vika this year, who happen to be currently based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. They greeted me with a literal feast on my first of three days in town. We started by eating tofu cutlets, which they served with chopped radishes, lettuce, soba noodles, and spicy Korean pepper sauce.  They got the idea for the cutlets from a Japanese restaurant in Bishkek and created them at home; the side dishes were already a sort of Korean fusion as their own inspiration. I decided to try the cutlets myself upon returning home. They were easy to make, quick to cook, and taste absolutely delicious! Here's my version:



Tofu cutlets (serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 small block of tofu, preferably the silken or soft kind
1/2 a carrot and 1/2 a small zucchini, grated finely
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated finely
1/4 cup celery, chopped finely 
2 tablespoons each of chickpea flour and regular wholewheat flour 
Fresh herbs to taste - dill, cilantro, parsley 
Spices to taste - I used black pepper, salt, coriander, red pepper and a pinch of asafetida
1 teaspoon ground chia seeds mixed with 3 teaspoons hot water; let sit for 2-3 minutes to gel (this acts as a vegan way to bind ingredients!)

Method: 
Just mix all the ingredients in a bowl until the tofu is well blended with everything else, then form small cutlets with your hands. Fry in olive oil for about 2-3 minutes on each side. For people averse to deep fried dishes, you could probably cook these in the oven as well. That will be my next experiment.

I served the cutlets with sliced tomatoes and shredded spinach. They'd go very well next to soba noodles or rice too.  Use your favorite sauce as a side. Enjoy! 

Thank you to Vika and Slava for the inspiration! 

This recipe takes its inspiration from the Indian dish 'palak paneer' -  a rich and delicious cheese dish in a creamy spinach sauce.  Without sacrificing the flavor, we wanted to create a vegan version that could act as a healthy main dish.  And here you have it! Instead of cream, this dish uses soy milk, and instead of cheese, we use tofu.  Try it and let us know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 package " Ясо" tofu cut into small squares
1 pack soy milk (available in Almaty, as with tofu, from veggie.kz)
1 large bunch of spinach
1 bunch cilantro
1 medium sized squash, cut into small squares
Splash of lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

Spices and more:

1 tablespoon coconut flakes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of asafetida and cinnamon
Salt and pepper

Method:

Heat the oil, add cumin seeds, turmeric, pinch of asafetida and cinnamon. Fry the spices for 30 seconds, add tofu and squash.  Stir fry for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.  In the meantime, mix the spinach, cilantro and soy milk in a blender or Magic Bullet. If very thick, add a bit of water.  Pour the green spinach mixture over the tofu and squash, let cook for at least 15 minutes on low heat stirring occasionally.  Finally, once you turn off the heat, add the coconut flakes, soy sauce and lemon juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with rice.

A number of friends who aren't vegetarian have never used tofu, and don't know where (or why) to buy it. In Almaty, you can find tofu at the Green Bazaar on the 2nd floor in the covered section that sells Korean salads. You can also buy it from Korean stores around town, or get it delivered to your home by veggie.kz. But why eat tofu? Here are our top three reasons:

1.  Tofu is healthy.  It's a great source of protein and amino acids, and can be easily incorporated into a low-fat diet plan.  

2.  Tofu is cheap.  Much cheaper than meat, in fact! So if you're on a budget and are looking for a way to get your protein, look no further than tofu.

3.  Tofu is super versatile and takes on the flavors of the dish you're cooking.  it can be incorporated into main dishes, soups, salads, and even smoothies.  It's fun to experiment with and you can disguise dishes for an extra protein boost with tofu - your dinner guests may never even guess!

So…for starters, we'd like to suggest the following recipe for you:

Ginger Tofu in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 pack " Ясо" tofu cut into small squares (if this brand unavailable, use a block of any firm tofu) 
1 carrot
1 green pepper
1 teaspoon ginger, cut finely
1/2 cup Vegetaristan's tomato sauce, or 2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped finely
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil

Chop the vegetables into small pieces. In a kazan or frying pan, heat the oil.  Add the chopped ginger and stir fry for 15 seconds.  Add the green pepper and carrot slices, fry for 2 minutes, add soy sauce, fry another 2-3 minutes. Then add the tofu and tomatoes or tomato sauce.   Let cook on a low heat for another 10 minutes.  Serve with rice or black bread and enjoy!

Do you have your own favorite tofu recipe? Share it with us at vegetaristan@gmail.com!