Tofu Jalfrezi

Jalfrezi is another spiced curry made with onions and bell-peppers sauteed with pan-fried paneer. I substituted paneer with tofu this time ; not for health reasons, but purely out of availability and convenience. But the entire process and taste remain the same. Jalfrezi is supposed to be mildly sweet in a way that complements the spices. At least, that is what I understand and remember from my friend's dish.

Ingredients:

1. 3 tablespoons olive oil / vegetable oil
2. 2 teaspoons cumin seeds / jeera
3. 2 medium-sized onions, finely diced
4. 4 cloves of garlic crushed/ground with a 2-inch block of ginger
5. 1.5 teaspoons garam masala
6. 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
7. 1 teaspoon coriander powder
8. 1 teaspoon chilli powder (optional; I don't usually add)
9. 1 teaspoon salt
10.  3 bell-peppers, cubed or cut into strips (I use red, orange, and yellow peppers as they are mildly sweet and caramelize upon sauteing. Their flavors go well with the jalfrazi theme)
11. 2 tomatoes, finely diced
12. 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup (the slightly spicier version is recommended; if using, go easy on the chilli powder)
13. 14 ounces / 397 grams Extra-firm Tofu - cubed
14. 3/4 teaspoon sugar
15. Juice of half a lemon
16. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro / coriander leaves

Preparation:

1. Pan fry the tofu cubes with a tablespoon of oil, until they turn golden-brown. Transfer the fried tofu on a paper towel to drain excess oil
2. In the meanwhile, in another skillet, heat the remaining oil with jeera. When the jeera begins to sizzle, add the chopped onions and saute on medium-heat until they turn translucent.
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute with the onions for a minute or two. 
4. Add the spices - the turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chilli powder, and salt. Stir and fry the spices with the onions and ginger-garlic, for a minute or two. Be careful not to burn the spices.
5. Add the cubed bell-peppers and saute with the rest. Let the bell-peppers almost cook - about 7-10 minutes. If the bell-peppers slightly char and fry, they taste even better - especially since the sweeter ones caramelize.
6. Next, add the tomatoes and tomato ketchup and stir well. Wait for the tomatoes to soften and cook. Takes about 5 minutes or so.
7. Finally, add the fried tofu. Reduce the heat to low. Stir the tofu into the curry and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
8. Remove from heat. Sprinkle some sugar and stir well to incorporate it into the curry. Squeeze some lemon juice to bring out the flavors, and garnish with cilantro. 

It's excellent served with roti / bread. We have recently become a fan of most things sweet and spicy, so we loved this. Paneer with anything can't go wrong much, anyway!