No-Coconut Tofu & Chickpea Korma.

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I hate to admit it but i’m not a fan of coconut (don’t hate me), as a result vegan curries have always been off the table for me. After years of experimenting, finally I have managed to create a truly creamy and down-right proper curry without the need for coconut milk. This Tofu and Chickpea Korma will fool any of your meat-eating loved ones with soft chunks of tofu and tender chickpeas, and it’s mild flavours will ensure it even pleases those among us that prefer subtle heat and spices.

Serves: 3 | Total Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 300g firm tofu

• 1x 400g can if chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 white onion, finely chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, diced

• 30g ground almonds (4 tablespoons)

• 1 tsp cumin seeds (or ground cumin)

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground paprika

• 200g plain unsweetened soy yoghurt (I used alpro)

• 200g unsweetened almond milk (if you do actually like coconut, swap the milk and the yoghurt for 1x can of coconut milk)

• Large handful of spinach (optional)

Curry paste:

• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

• 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

• 2 tbsp tomato puree

• 2 tbsp plain unsweetened soy yoghurt

• 50ml unsweetend almond milk

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 20g smooth almond butter

Instructions

1. Start by making the curry paste. Place all the ingredients into a blender, blending it into a smooth paste.

2. Next, drain the tofu and squeeze out its excess liquid (either place the tofu between a few paper towels or two flannels and place something heavy on top for 5-10 minutes, or a tofu presser). Cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes.

3. Meanwhile, place a pan over medium heat (I use level 6 on an induction hob) and heat up 1 tsp oil or 1/3 cup of water until it begins to boil. Add in the garlic, onion, cumin seeds, cinnamon, paprika and cook for 5-7 minutes untill soft.

4. Mix in the curry paste, then continue cooking for 5 minutes, ensuring the paste does not burn on the bottom of the pan by regularly stiring and scraping. Add in the ground almonds, plant yoghurt and milk, mix well and leave to thicken for 10-15 minutes.

5. Add both the drained chickpeas and tofu into the curry. Mix well every few minutes for a final 5-10 minutes on low-medium heat. If using spinach, add this in at this point to wilt it down.

6. Serve with freshly cooked wholegrain rice.