Mexican Tofu with Apricots, Chipotle and Tamarind
This Mexican Tofu with Apricots, Chipotle and Tamarind is, literally, bursting with flavor. The sweet, spicy and tangy sauce coats chewy mushrooms, soft tofu cubes and melting slivers of apricot with a pretty, orange-brown glaze.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 224kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 cup dried mushrooms (I used the brand linked here, which has an assortment of mushrooms. You can use any type of dried mushrooms, including shiitake)
- 8 oz fresh cremini mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 small jalapeno pepper (minced)
- ¾ cup dried apricots (sliced)
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
- 1 chipotle chili (with 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce in the can)
- 14 oz baked tofu (cubed)
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped, optional)
For the tamarind sauce
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 2 cups mushroom stock (from the reconstituted dry mushrooms, see instructions below)
- ½ cup piloncillo (grated, or use jaggery or coconut sugar)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Reconstitute the dried mushrooms
- Soak the dried mushrooms in 2 cups of boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid and reserve for making the tamarind sauce. Slice the reconstituted mushrooms and reserve them separately.
Make the tamarind sauce
- Place the strained mushroom stock, tamarind paste, piloncillo, cumin and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce has reduced by about half. Add salt as needed--I find this recipe needs very little salt.
Make the Mexican tofu
- Heat oil in a saucepan or saute pan. Add the mushrooms (fresh and the reconstituted dry mushrooms) and jalapeno pepper and cook, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are nicely caramelized and golden-brown.
- Add the sliced apricots, apricot preserves, chipotle chili with adobo sauce and the tamarind sauce to the pot. Mix well, bring to a boil, then lower heat to the lowest point on your stove and cook 25 minutes or until the apricots are really soft.
- Stir in the tofu and mix well. Check for salt and add if needed.
- Garnish with cilantro, if using.
Notes
- Serve this with Mexican green rice or Mexican red rice or simply with brown rice. Or eat it with a soft roll with guacamole on the side for a memorable meal.
- Leftovers store nicely in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- You can freeze the Mexican tofu for up to three months but keep in mind that the texture of tofu will alter in the freezer and it will become more chewy and porous.
Nutrition
Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 640IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg