Fusion Lunch (Thai and Indian combo)

Happy Republic Day to all of You

After a lovely warm week, we had a sudden temperature drop and a cold weekend. So, din't step out of the house on Saturday. On sunday we had planned to have a Republic Day potluck. So, on saturday I wanted to try Thai food as we had planned to stay at home. Had all time for trying this dish. We had a fusion lunch that day, Thai and Indian combination... Now a days my daughter is having crazy cravings at crazy times. Suddenly she got up and she wanted to eat sweet Pongal. When I had made it for Sankranthi, she had loved it..and I think she remembered it all of a sudden and asked for it...So, made Pongal for her along with Thai food.

I wanted to try a Thai dish without any coconut milk in it...(watching weight). Thanks to Google..can find anything.

Ingredients:

Extra-firm Tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes - 1 package (8 ounces) Soy sauce – 1Tb spoon Lime juice – 1/2 Tb spoon Yellow onion, chopped - 1 medium Red bell pepper, diced - 1 Green bell pepper, diced -1 Garlic, finely chopped - 1/2 teaspoon Flour - 1 Tb spoon Vegetable broth - 3 cups Nori flakes (or other crushed seaweed) - 1 teaspoon Crushed pineapple, with juice - 1/4 cup Vegan Thai red curry paste - 1-2 Tb spoons Zucchini, diced – 1 medium Mung bean or soy sprouts - 1 cup Method:

• Marinate the tofu cubes in the soy sauce and lemon for at least half an hour.
• Stir or shake often to cover all the pieces.
• Heat a large, non-stick wok or sauce pan over medium-high heat, and add the onion, peppers, and garlic.
• Cook, stirring, until onions are becoming tender for about 8 minutes.
• Add the flour, stirring constantly, and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, for about 2 more minutes, until the flour begins to brown.
• Continue to stir as you add the vegetable broth, nori flakes, crushed pineapple, and curry paste.
• Turn down the heat to low and simmer until it's thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the tofu and its marinade to a hot, non-stick skillet.
• Cook, stirring gently, until all the liquid has evaporated.
• Continue to cook without stirring until the tofu is browned on one side; then turn it over to brown on all sides. Add it to the curry mixture.

• Return the skillet to the heat and sauté the diced zucchini until it is tender but still crisp.
• Add it to the curry mixture.
• Cook the curry for about 5 more minutes. Serve over rice, sprinkled with bean sprouts and topped, if you like, with chutney.
  

PS: I have used Thai Kitchen Red curry paste . Other brands contain shrimp paste in it. You can add any other veggies too along with this. I have used sea weed instead of nori flakes. Thai Red Curry goes to A.W.E.D Thai Cuisine hosted by DK .

Now coming to Pongal, it is a must sweet made during Makara Sankranthi. I have made this twice in a span of 10 days..:-)Trying to cut dowm the sweet consumption, but not able to... This sweet goes to my daughter on her request...

Ingredients: Moong Dhal - 1 cup Rice – 2 cups Dry coconut – ¼ cup Jaggery – 2 cups Elaichi / Cardamom – 2 Ghee – ¼ - ½ cup Milk – ½ cup Raisins – 1 Tb spoon Cashews – 1 Tb spoon Method:

• Fry moong dhal with little ghee till golden brown.
• Add water and boil for 10 minutes.
• When it is half boiled, add rice to it. Add enough water for it to boil.
• Keep adding ghee to it while it is cooking.
• When the rice has cooked, add coconut elaichi powder and jaggery and stir well.
• Keep adding ghee. Add milk to it and stir it all.
• Then fry raisins and cashews in ghee and add to the pongal.
• Serve hot with more ghee on top.

Sweet Pongal goes to Just For You hosted by Sindhi Rasoi.

Sweet Pongal also goes to “Harvest: The Festival of Rice”, hosted by Here I Cook and also to Festive Food hosted by Indian Khanna.