We are officially at the close of the month and well, almost at the end of the year! Two months, and we shall be in 2017! The year has been so great so far, hoping the final two months are even better. This blog that started off as a hobby, has finally taken the form that is far more professional than I had ever imagined. Most of the good things happened in this year and I cannot wait to take the blog to the next level.
Today is Halloween in most parts of the world including US. It is also the New Year for Indians, the first day of the Hindu calendar. And guess what, I am posting a recipe that has nothing to do with either of them. This dish has no pumpkin, no Indian spice, not an Indian sweet and not a dish that is made during either of the festivals! This is a post for a spiralizer that I was sent recently for review. And we are almost about to take-off for a vacation back home. before I leave, I wanted to finish most of my commitments and so here is a post!
Though this recipe has nothing to do with Diwali, it is perfect to detox post all the TONS of sweets and fried food we enjoy during the festivals. Not only is it a healthy and tasty dish, it comes together in no time and requires minimum efforts. As a family, we LOVE bowls. Whether it is the home-made version of Chipotle's Veggie Burrito bowl or Tofu Panang Bowl, we love them for dinner. These bowls make a perfect meal that is generally balanced as well. This recipe started off as a salad with carrot noodles, but after a fre additions, we managed to make it a complete meal! Coming to the technique of making this bowl; the process is as easy as 1-2-3. Bake and season tofu, spiralize or julienne the carrots and serve it with a side of steamed rice!
I used a spiralizer for this recipe. Those not familiar with what it is, spiralizers are gadgets that help make long strands of vegetables like carrots, squashes, zucchini, beets and potatoes. These strands make perfectly amazing fries, curly fries and vegan as well as paleo noodles. They are healthy, yummy and brightly colored. if you have not ventured into spiralizers, you are definitely missing out on some yummy food.
Brieftons sent me a four blade spiralizer to help ease cutting and cooking. I loved the idea of having a spiralizer at home, and used it immediately to make this dish. The standing spiralizer comes with a blade that has four settings: angel hair, fine shredding, crude shredding and curly fries. The construction of the spiralizer is nice and solid, the blades are sharp and using it simplifies the task to a great extend. Cleaning is super quick. The only flipside is the bad suction of the base that does not hold the spiralizer in place while you use it. Apart from that, it does the job pretty quickly. I prefer this over the vertical and hand-held spiralizer, for the ease of operation. Get yours from Amazon here.
Ingredients
For the Tofu
Firm tofu a box 14 oz
Broccoli 1 head, florets removed and blanched
Red Thai Chilli 1-2
Soy Sauce 1 tsp
Vinegar ½ tsp
Chilli sauce 1 tsp
Sesame Oil 1 tsp
Corn Flour 1 tsp
Garlic 4-5 pods, minced
Toasted Sesame Seeds 1 tsp
Salt 2 tsp
Pepper Powder ½ tsp
For the carrot noodles
Carrot 2 large
Toasted Sesame seed oil 1 tsp
Salt and Pepper
Method
To make the tofu
Preheat oven to 375 F/ 201 C . Press tofu between layers of kitchen towel. Remove all the water and dice the tofu. In a plate add half the salt and pepper. Drop tofu in the plate and coat well with salt and pepper. Line a tray with foil or parchment paper and arrange the tofu pieces in a single layer. Bake for 20-30 minutes till the tofu is crisp. Flip once at 10-12 minutes. Once they are firm brown, remove and cool.
In a pan heat oil. Add garlic, saute and brown. Once it is brown, add the red chilli, tofu pieces and saute. In a bowl mix corn starch with ¼ cup water, salt, pepper, and the sauces. Pour the mixture on the tofu and mix well. Cook till the mixture is absorbed by the tofu and becomes dry. Turn down the heat and add blanched broccoli. Season with toasted sesame seeds.
To make the carrot noodles
Peel the carrots. Using a spiralizer and setting the blade to thin juliennes, spiralize the carrots. In a plate add the carrot noodles, sprinkle salt and pepper. Drizzle the toasted sesame seed oil and mix well.
To assemble the bowl, add the tofu on one side and noodles on the other. Sprinkle additional sesame seeds and serve with a side of steamed rice.
**This is a sponsored post. However, all opinions expressed are my own and completely unbiased.
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