Comforting & Nourishing Golden Curry

A super comforting and nourishing curry loaded with tons of veggies, topped off with baked tofu for protein and enjoyed with brown rice!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CURRY

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion diced

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger finely chopped – from a 2-inch piece ginger

• 4 cloves garlic minced

• 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric

• 1-2 teaspoons sriracha

• 1 can chickpeas (15-ounces) drained and rinsed

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small-medium sized florets

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk (15-ounces)

• 1 can low-fat coconut milk (15-ounces)

• 2 cups vegetable stock

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 5 cups kale leaves torn into bite-sized pieces – other greens like collard greens would also work

• Salt to taste (if your veg stock is low sodium)

FOR THE TOFU

• 2 blocks super firm high protein tofu (or 2 blocks extra firm, pressed)

• 4 tbsp liquid aminos (or soy sauce or tamari)

• 4 tsp garlic powder

• 2 tsp black pepper

FOR THE RICE

• 2 cups short grain brown rice or jasmine rice, rinsed

INSTRUCTIONS:

FOR THE BROWN RICE: Cook according to package instructions. This can take up to 45-50 minutes.

FOR THE TOFU:

• Preheat oven to 425 F.

• Drain the package of tofu and pat dry. If you are using super firm, no need to press the tofu. If you are using extra firm, make sure your tofu is already pressed. (But honestly, I've just used extra firm without pressing and it’s fine, you just might need to bake for a little while longer).

• Cube the tofu into roughly 1 inch pieces, trying your best to make them uniformly sized.

• Add the cubes to a bowl and toss with the liquid aminos (or soy sauce or tamari), black pepper and garlic powder. Use a soft spatula to gently toss everything, making sure not to break the tofu cubes.

• Prepare a baking sheet by either lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat or using some non-stick cooking spray.

• Place the cubed tofu on the tray (spread out evenly so the pieces don’t touch) and spoon a little bit of the rest of the marinade that’s leftover in the bowl onto each piece of tofu. Don’t forget this step!

• Bake for roughly 30-35 minutes, flipping once halfway through. I set my timer for 15 minutes, flip, then another 15 minutes and check the firmness of the tofu—They shouldn’t be soft! The outside should become firm and chewy. The longer they bake, the chewier they get.

FOR THE CURRY:

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened 5-6 minutes.

• Add the ginger, garlic, curry powder, ground turmeric, diced sweet potato and sriracha and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.

• Add the garbanzo beans and fry them in oil and spices while stirring frequently until they start to break down for about 5 minutes.

• Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, crush the garbanzo beans slightly to release some of their starches (which will help thicken the curry).

• Add the coconut milk, vegetable stock, and salt and pepper to taste. (If your stock is not reduced salt, you might not need additional salt, so add the salt last after tasting!). Scrape down the bits at the bottom of the pot and give it a good stir.

• Add the cauliflower florets. Put the lid on, bring it to a boil, turn down the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes or until it thickens to your liking, and until the sweet potato and cauliflower are cooked through. The sweet potato should be nice and soft and melt in your mouth!

• Add kale leaves and cook for a few more minutes or until kale leaves are nice and soft.

• Taste for seasoning and add in if necessary.

• Ladle into bowls on top of the cooked rice. Top with tofu. Garnish with the cilantro if desired.

NOTES:

• This is a large recipe and should make roughly 5-6 servings! Great for meal prep!

• Typically 1 block of super firm tofu makes 3 servings of around ~22g of protein for me. I like to cube my tofu in roughly 1 inch pieces, totaling 24 pieces. So 8 pieces = 1 serving. In order to do this, I turn the tofu over so that it’s standing up on its long side. I slice down the middle so I now have 2 blocks of tofu that are about 1 inch thick. Then, I slice each block long ways so that there are 3 long strips. Then, I slice each strip into 4 cubes.

• FOR STORING: Store the curry, brown rice, and tofu in separate containers for up to 5 days.