I realised that apart from the usual suspects, I didn’t have a good repertoire of vegetarian dishes. I remember mom cooking all sorts of yummy (at the time the meals were met with groans) meals. So a quick call to mom and armed with vague quantities of what I needed, I was ready to introduce these dishes to the family…esp the kids.
Coconut curries/soups are best in the summer months. They are cooling, really light and gentle on the diegestive system. Thannisar is one of those curries. Mom made them with silken tofu; happens to be one of S’s favourite!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon dried prawns, soaked in hot water and finely chopped (optional)
1 medium red onion, finely sliced.
2 cloves garlic finely sliced
200g Bean sprouts
2 packages silken tofu cut into 6 cubes
200g spinach washed
400ml light coconut milk, as I am unable to get fresh coconut I buy canned coconut milk and dilute it with water in a 1:1 ratio.
2-3 tblsp thick coconut milk, used straight out of the can.
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 spring onions cut into 1.5inch stems
In a saucepan, heat up 2 tblsp oil. Fry the dried prawns, onion and garlic until aromatic. Add the bean sprouts, stir to coat in the oil, followed by 300ml light coconut milk. Bring to the boil. Then add the sliken tofu and more light coconut milk to cover the tofu. Add the tumeric powder and cumin powder and simmer gently for 5-10 mins. Add the spinach and spring onions in the last 5mins. Don’t stir the curry too much as it will break up the tofu, gently agitate the curry with a spoon.. it isn’t bad if the tofu breaks… it just doesn’t look as nice.
I also made fish cutlets to go with this dish.
Ingredients (Recipe adapted from “South Indian cookbook”- Devagi Sanmugam)
2 cloves garlic with a thumbsize piece of ginger ground to a paste
2 sprigs curry leaves chopped
1 handful corainder chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 tsp fennel coarsely pounded
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 large egg
1/2 red chilli deseeded finely chopped
4 medium sized potatoes, I use an all rounder in german it’s called “festkochend”, boiled and mashed
1 can tuna in brine (you could omit this and double the amount of potatoes to make it vegetarian. it may break up as you fry it depending on the potato you use. if it does break up as you fry it, add breadcrumbs to the mix.)
salt
Mix everything together, shape into patties and fry until lovely and golden brown.
Serve with jasmine rice.
I am happy to say, the kids had seconds!
Lagibess 
Oh yum! Without trying this recipe I already know I will love it. Does the soup work with firm tofu too (I have some in the fridge) or should it be silken tofu? Also for the fish kotlet what would be the best substitute for curry leaves if I can’t find them? By the way the ingredient photos really help when you don’t know what the ingredient looks like. Thanks for the recipe.
Good question about the tofu, silken tofu is good in soup, doesn’t need that much cooking. if it is firm tofu you have, you could cook it first (in a pan with some oil, fry all sides, then cut into big squares), then pop them into the soup.
if you don’t have curry leaves, you could leave it out, the coriander leaves adds a lot of flavour…sometimes I run out of curry leaves too.
Okay I will do that. Thank you so much.