It was a sultry summer’s day in Bombay when Desi and I went to the courthouse to apply for our marriage license. After a long wait in the line (yes, many other couples had the same idea), we were tired and hungry and stopped for lunch at a small but charming restaurant nearby.
It was the first time I ate Patia (paa-tee-yaa), a dish that’s usually made with prawns (a shrimp-like shellfish).
The next day, I was sick as a dog. The prawns, I knew, were responsible, but it was too late. I was already in love with this delicious dish with its sweet, sour and spicy flavors. So instead of risking my stomach at that restaurant again, I learned to cook it myself. And once I did, I couldn’t stop making it.
After turning vegan, I have been trying to recreate versions of my favorite meat and seafood dishes with vegan substitutes. The dish I want to share today, Tofu Patia, is a perfect example of how it is very possible to veganize dishes where we often believe meat (or seafood) are absolutely indispensable.
Patia is a staple of the fascinating cuisine of the Parsi community of India.
Although they are a small drop in this billion-strong country’s melting pot of cultures, the Parsis– who are said to have migrated to India from Persia 1,000 years ago– are also among its most interesting residents. They are often described in cliches: super-rich, inscrutable, tight-knit, eccentric…there’s some truth in all of that. Over the years I have met and made many wonderful Parsi friends, but my memory is dominated by a willowy, green-eyed, brown-haired friend named Lyla who once went to a really seedy strip club in South Bombay because, she said, how else would she know what goes on in there? For company, she took her aging mother and aunt.
The next day she related, deadpan, a colorful account of the dancers, exactly what they did, the audience, and their reaction.
Parsi cuisine is just as delightful, and extremely delicious, but it is not something I’ve ever seen in Indian restaurants here, partly because the restaurants here are predominantly run by North Indians, and in some cases South Indians, who largely serve cuisine from their part of the country.
But Indian regional cuisine varies greatly from state to state and sometimes even within different communities in a single state. Parsis first settled in Gujarat, a state in west India, and their food is an amalgamation of Gujarati cuisine and their Persian roots.
Like other dishes served by Parsis, Patia sparkles with vibrant flavors. There’s the sour note added by tomatoes and lemon, the sweetness of coconut milk and jaggery (an unrefined Indian sugar), and the spiciness of red chilli powder.
Given all these rich flavors, I was pretty certain that I wouldn’t miss the prawns in a vegan version. But because I wanted to throw in some protein muscle, I added some marinated, baked tofu.
I was really thrilled with the result. My vegan patia had the same flavors as the seafood version (minus the fishy smell– now who would miss that?), and the tofu, baked to slight chewiness but creamy in the center, was just perfect.
I can’t wait to share it with you. Enjoy, folks!
Tofu Patia: Reinventing A Regional Classic
Ingredients
- 1 block extra-firm tofu.
- 1/2 tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- Salt to taste.
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 dry red chillies
- 1 large onion , finely diced
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 3 tomatoes , diced
- 1 tbsp jaggery (can substitute with sugar)
- Juice of 1 lemon.
- Chopped mint or coriander for garnish
Instructions
- Swaddle the tofu in paper napkins or in cheesecloth, place in a colander, and place something heavy on top, like a cast-iron pan. Let the water drain out of the tofu for at least an hour.
- Now stand the tofu on the side and slice so you have two slices of the same width as the whole block but only half the thickness.
- In a baking pan large enough to hold the two slices of tofu side by side, mix 1 tsp of vegetable oil, 1/4 tsp turmeric and red chilli powder. Add some salt to taste.
- Place the tofu in the pan and turn over to coat with the turmeric-chilli-oil mixture.
- Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 30 minutes until slightly chewy on the outside but creamy on the inside.
- In a blender, make a paste of the coconut milk, cumin seeds, ginger and red chillies.
- In a skillet or saucepan, heat 1/2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, until browned.
- Addthe coriander powder, cumin powder, and remaining turmeric powder.
- Stir for a minute and then add the coconut milk mixture. Cook on a slow flame about five minutes.
- Cut each slice of the baked tofu into four long strips, and then cut each strip into four pieces to get a dice of about 1/2 inch.
- Add to the saucepan and stir in.
- Add the tomatoes, cover, and cook until the tomatoes are fairly soft.
- Add the jaggery and lemon juice. Check salt.
- Garnish with chopped mint or coriander.
- I love tofu patia with plain boiled rice, but I am sure a good bread would taste great dunked into this too.
For other meat-free favorites, check out my vegan “Beef” Stew, and my “Lamb” Curry.
Gita's Kitchen says
May 28, 2009 atIt looks very colorful and delicious…love your idea of using tofu for Indian dishes! I have bookmarked this recipe to try it this weekend, thanks Vaishali 🙂
Dips says
May 29, 2009 atLooks great ..will try soon..and instead of bookmarking every recipe that you post, Im going to add you to my blogroll 🙂 my first…
Great recipes all !!
G3 says
May 29, 2009 atLooks mouth watering, V. Can’t wait to try it out!!
Mints! says
May 29, 2009 atParsis food is my favorite. A friend of mine made vegan/vegetarian versions for me often enough for me not to cook them. Now that she has moved far away, I have been searching for good recipes. Yours look really tempting. I will try it this weekend.
i have parsi b-i-l and fits the description too well 😉
Cham says
May 29, 2009 atParsi dish never tasted I imagine the taste with shrimp. Delectable vegan dish!
Pavithra says
May 29, 2009 atIts looking SO good and inviting.. color is really tempting me. I wish to taste it ..
Curry Leaf says
May 29, 2009 atI love it Vaishali.Absolutely stunning.I have been wanting to try Parsi recipes,but was not sure how they may taste vegan THANKS for trying it out.It surely inspires me to try Parsi recipes.
anudivya says
May 29, 2009 atLooks vibrant and healthy. Vaishali, there is a noticeable change in your pictures today, or is it just me? Looks lovelier than it normally is.
Priya says
May 29, 2009 atI never tried or tasted Parsi dishes, this Patia looks very colourful and love ur idea of making out seafood dishes as vegan…Keep on rocking Vaishali!
Aparna says
May 29, 2009 atWhile I am a little familiar with some Parsi dishes, this one is new to me.
This should make a good “curry” for chappathis.
Parita says
May 29, 2009 atWow tofu patia looks mouth watering..i have recently started using tofu and absolutely love it..will try this soon:)
Sharmila says
May 29, 2009 atI love anything in coconut milk … this is such a nice vegan version. 🙂
Kitchen Flavours says
May 29, 2009 atHmm sounds yum….looks flavourful ans spicy….
Priya says
May 29, 2009 atI have not had many Parsi dishes, but have loved everything I tried until now. I like the combination of spices that they use. Though its the same stuff, it makes a huge difference in taste. This one looks delicious and I have everything needed to have a yummy dinner tonight 🙂 Have a lovely weekend.
Pavani says
May 29, 2009 atParsi dishes have such a wonderful blend of flavors. This dish looks delicious, will try. Have a wodnerful weekend Vaishali.
Cilantro says
May 29, 2009 atIt is always good to know people with different cultures and we get to learn a lot from them. I have met few people from the Parsi community in Hyderabad.They are a close knit community and hard working too.
Love the recipe, I have tofu with me and will try it out soon.
Shreya says
May 29, 2009 atHi Vaishali, I live in Mumbai now, but I don’t think I would have ever known of Patia without this post! Thanks so much for all the info, and it really is grt that you experiment with vegan substitutes. I love this recipe, especially the blend with the coconut milk, and will try this with tofu. Is jaggery added to reduce the bitterness of tofu(if any?), because somehow I feel it would add sweetness to the sweet flavour of coconut milk that has been spiced up and the tangy tomatoes and lemon juice
Vaishali Honawar says
June 14, 2013 atHi Shreya, no, the tofu isn’t bitter in this dish. The jaggery is an ingredient in the original recipe.
Ashwini says
May 29, 2009 atlooks perfect…i tried ur dads mutton/mushroom curry..tasted so good..my hubby loved it…thanks for the recipe…
Uma says
May 29, 2009 atmmm. this is a delicious dish Vaishali! Looks sooo tempting 🙂
Mahimaa's kitchen says
May 30, 2009 atwhat a vibrant curry… looks gorgeous.
Divya Vikram says
May 30, 2009 atGreat to hear abt Parsi cuisine. A lovely creation Vaishali.
Sireesha says
May 31, 2009 atummmmmm looks divine…
Red Chillies says
May 31, 2009 atLOL, so she took her agining mom and aunt to the strip club as well eh? Wonder what they had to say :-))
very colorful dish minus the seafood (who would miss that smell, as you said)
Madhuram says
June 1, 2009 atAnything with tofu is a big hit in my place. I’m sure we will love this one too Vaishali. Can’t wait to try it.
Fareeda says
June 6, 2011 atI made this recipe yesterday. It was fabulous.
Thanks
Vaishali Honawar says
June 14, 2013 atThanks for the feedback! Happy you liked it. 🙂
Mala says
December 1, 2013 atHi Vaishali,
Love your blog. I just made this recipe and it tastes awesome!
I have tried your mango cup cake and many other recipes and they never fail. This feedback was long overdue but better late than never 🙂
Vaishali says
December 2, 2013 atMala, so happy you liked this and other recipes, and thanks for your kind words!
Michelle says
January 13, 2015 atThis was really delicious. I will make it many times. Nice work!
Vaishali Honawar says
January 13, 2015 atThanks for the feedback, Michelle! Glad you tried it. 🙂