Herb Curry with Tofu and Chickpeas, Made with SN3

Tofu curry turns watery because the tofu releases water as it simmers. So the tofu is pressed for 20 minutes first. It goes into the pot only for the last 5 minutes. That alone keeps the sauce at full strength and the tofu in one piece.

Symphony No.3 is a "bouquet garni you can eat". Of the four curries, this is the only one that carries oregano and rosemary. Herbs that Western cooking ties into a bundle and simmers in the pot stand here on the curry's side. Not a single spice in it carries heat, so it is not hot.

With no meat fat in the way, those herbs come straight to the front. The gentle sweetness of tofu and chickpeas is supported from below by a foundation of coriander. That is why leaving out the meat leaves nothing missing. It is built that way.

The critical stretch is the 12 minutes of bringing the aromatic vegetables to amber. Not just the onion — the carrot and celery go along with it. A dish with no meat and no fish: why not set it on the table for Obon?

Total time: about 50 min

Add to this 20 minutes for pressing the tofu.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• SN3 / starter spices (whole-spice packet): 1 packet
• SN3 / powdered spices (powder packet): 1 packet
• Firm tofu (momen) — 2 blocks (about 600 g)
• Chickpeas (cooked) — 200 g
• Onion — 1
• Carrot — 1/2
• Celery — 1/2 stalk
• Garlic — 2 tsp (about 1–2 cloves)
• Ginger — 2 tsp (about 1–2 knobs)
• Canned tomatoes (whole) — one 400 g can
• Coconut milk — 3 tbsp (milk also works)
• Water — 200 ml
• Soy sauce — 2 tsp
• Salt — 1 tsp
• Oil — 3 tbsp (use whatever oil you like; for this recipe we recommend rice bran oil or white sesame oil)

Preparation

1. Wrap the firm tofu in paper towels, set a flat plate on top and press for about 20 minutes. Pat dry and cut each block into 4 pieces. Skip drawing the water out here, and the tofu will release it mid-simmer and thin the sauce.
2. Grate the garlic, then the ginger, in that order. If you don't have a grater, chop them finely.
3. Slice the onion thinly, across the grain.
4. Finely chop the carrot and the celery, each separately. Chop the celery leaves and use them too.
5. Drain the cooked chickpeas in a colander.
6. Open the starter-spice (whole-spice) packet; splitting the cardamom lengthwise with scissors or a knife lifts the brightness of the aroma.

Instructions

1. Put the 3 tbsp of oil in a pot over low heat, and once the oil has warmed, add the starter spices (whole-spice packet).
2. When the cardamom (the green pods) puffs up, add the grated garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds, mixing them with the spices.
3. Add the onion, carrot and celery with the 1 tsp of salt, mix thoroughly with the spices, then turn the heat to high and cook for about 12 minutes, adding small splashes of water as you go, until they turn amber.

   How far you take the onion changes the finished dish more than anything else. "It came out watery." "The tomato tastes too sharp." "It lacks depth." The single biggest cause of all three is moving on to the next step before the onion has turned amber. Cook it for a full 12 to 15 minutes, until it is properly amber.
   The points are:
   - keep the heat at medium-high to high
   - spread the onion evenly across the pot and leave it, then stir; spread evenly again and leave it, then stir — and repeat
   - whenever you feel it catching on the bottom as you stir, add a small splash of water (from experience: about 2 tbsp of water each time, five times on average)
   The splashes of water carry the savoriness the onion releases as it cooks through the whole pot, and keep it from burning on its way to amber. Letting it catch just enough to need a splash of water is, in fact, exactly what draws out the flavor best.

4. Once the aromatic vegetables are amber, turn the heat to medium, add the 200 g of chickpeas and cook them in. Tofu breaks apart easily, so it does not go in here — it waits for the final step.
5. Add all of the powdered spices and fold them in, as if cooking the powder itself through.
6. Push the ingredients to one side, add the canned tomatoes, crush the whole tomatoes thoroughly, then mix everything together.
7. Add the 200 ml of water, the 3 tbsp of coconut milk and the 2 tsp of soy sauce. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
8. Gently lay the pressed tofu in the pot and warm it over low heat for about 5 minutes, spooning the sauce over it. Don't stir — just shake the pot, and the tofu won't break.
9. Taste at the end and adjust the salt. Adding salt a pinch at a time until the seasoning is where you like it is the key to a delicious finish.

Bay leaf, cardamom and cassia (bark) are not usually eaten, so remove them if you come across them. Removing them before plating makes the curry easier to eat along with the tofu.

Inspice Spice Curry spice sets contain no chili, cayenne pepper or chili powder — the usual main sources of heat — so adjust the spiciness to your liking and enjoy.

To add heat, we recommend HOT SPICE "Umakara". It is a blend that adds heat and umami together, so the dish doesn't simply get hotter — the curry's aroma stays in place while only the outline of the flavor tightens. Don't add it to the pot; sprinkle it on little by little after serving into bowls. That way, people who don't handle heat well can share the same pot.