Bok Choy & Tofu in Tomato Curry

This recipe has bok choy and tofu along with green onions, bell peppers, garlic and chickpeas in a creamy tomato flavored curry. 

O-M-G! This recipe came out really very good and actually I was not sure how it would come out as I really had never cooked with bok choy (yes! I know, odd..:) but its true). But as I added the tomato paste and the spices, slowly by slowly my confidence came back in knowing that this is going to be yet another aromatic, delicious recipe! 

I would say that you can add another tablespoon of tomato paste if you like (I added about 3 tablespoons) and another thing I would advice to keep in mind is that when you are ready to blend your seeds paste, you do not add too much water in the blender - add little bit and see if it blends well and becomes in to a creamy paste or not...

If it doesn't, then you add little more and so on..

Also, you can make this recipe like a dry vegetable mix - where you don't add the seeds paste at all. Though I would not advice that since seeds are a powerhouse of nutrients and especially when we soak them overnight and incorporate them in this way (in a warm recipe where they are blended, then lightly cooked and softened even more), then they become even more digestible and hence more nutritious for our body; you don't feel the 'heaviness' that comes by taking seeds otherwise. 

But if you don't have the seeds or just don't want the curry type of recipe, then make the recipe as is and give it a try. Next time when you have seeds then you can make it as the original recipe calls for. 

At the end, all I will say is that while this recipe came out absolutely delicious and aromatic with undernotes of a Thai flavor, I just wish I had been more mindful of the above two points - adding perhaps more tomato paste and making my seeds paste more thicker (and less water in the recipe).

Now..on to you..

Let me know how your came out and if you made any tweaks. If you did like to send in photos of this (or any) recipe, I would love that! Just email me the pics and I will be happy to feature them in the newsletter. If not, enjoy the recipe still! I paired it with some white rice but you can take it up a notch and make it more healthier by pairing it with some brown rice or even some quinoa. 

Ingredients -

1. Organic extra firm tofu - 1 box 
2. Yellow onion - 1 large size
3. Bok Choy - 1 whole (only leaves are used in this recipe)
4. Roma tomatoes - 2
5. Garlic - 1 whole
6. Red bell pepper - 1 whole
7. Green bell pepper - 1 whole
8. Boiled chickpeas or any beans of your choice (optional)  - 1 cup (or more - as you wish)
9. Green onion - 1 whole (green and whites all finely chopped)

Creamy Seeds Paste - 

1. Organic sunflower seeds - 3 Tablespoons (see pics below)
2. Organic pumpkin seeds - 2 Tablespoons
3. Organic sesame seeds - 1 Tablespoon
3. Water - See note below*

Soak overnight and rinse when ready to make the paste. Add fresh clean water and make into a creamy paste. 

*For adding water when making paste - In the glass container, look at how much your seeds are and add the water amount slowly so you can adjust the consistency of the paste. You do not want the seeds paste to be too thin or too thick either - you want it to be creamy so add little water, blend first and then adjust if needed.

I added little bit more water in this paste by mistake and wish I could done it more mindfully at the time. So, next time I will add little at a time so the recipe is more creamy in texture and taste. 

Spices and Oils -   

1. Organic unrefined coconut oil - 3-4 Tablespoons
2. Black pepper - 2 Tablespoons
3. Organic Himalayan sea salt- per taste or start with 2 Tablespoons for this quantity
4. Cayenne - 1 Tablespoon
5. Thyme - 1/2 Tablespoon
6. Dried oregano - 1 Tablespoon
7. Tomato paste - 3 Tablespoons
8. Fennel powder - 1 Teaspoon
9. Tamarind paste - 1 Tablespoon
10. Coconut aminos or soy sauce or soy aminos - 2 Tablespoons
11. Jaggery or brown sugar - 1 Tablespoon

Top With (Optional) -

1. Organic extra virgin olive oil (1 teaspoon per plate)
2. Fresh squeezed lemon juice (few drops of fresh lemon juice per plate)
3. Nutritional yeast - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per serving
4. Organic kelp (granules or powder) - 1/3rd Teaspoon per plate 

Simple Steps -

1. Watch the video for step by step instructions and see the photos below. 

Servings -

To reduce the quantity, all you have to do is reduce the veggies and the creamy seed paste quantity accordingly. I would suggest keeping the veggies same quantity. But if you decide to cut the vegetables quantity in half. then you can do the same with seed paste - make it in half.

To increase more (if making for guests, etc.) - Same goes when you want to increase this recipe. As you add more cups of vegetables or another block of tofu, you would add slightly more of the seeds paste.

There really are no rules so don't be scared - this recipe was super tasty and it lasted me for good 3-4 days. 

Single (Adult portion size) - This would easily serve 4 good size servings.
2 people (Adult portion size) - approx. 2.5 servings each.
Family of 4 - Will serve each a good size serving plus some leftover.

Composting - Also, as always, keep composting - that is your organic free fertilizer - so all your vegetable/onion ends - yup, put it in a bin outside or just throw under the soil! Plants & Earth will thank you plus let's all stop using plastic bags for such reasons.  Compost! Compost! Compost! from now on.