Caribbean tofu and sweet potato curry with rice and peas recipe
A tasty vegetarian curry combining classic Caribbean flavours with traditional rice and peas – the peas are actually beans!
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
Rice and peas
- 125g dried kidney beans, soaked overnight and rinsed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 spring onions, cut in half
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 100ml low-fat/light coconut milk
- 125g white rice (long grain or basmati), washed and drained
Curry
- 300g extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
- 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons Jamaican curry powder
- 0.5 scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and chopped (optional)
- 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 low-salt seasoning cube (5g)
- 1 bay leaf
- 125g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander to garnish, chopped (optional)
Method
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Put the beans in a large pot. Add the onions, fresh thyme, spring onions, chopped garlic, black pepper, all-purpose seasoning, whole scotch bonnet and coconut milk. Cover with 400ml of water, stir and then boil on a medium-low heat for 40 to 50 minutes, until the beans are soft.
Information:If you prefer, use cow peas, gungo peas (pigeon peas) or black-eyed beans. You can cut the cooking time by using tinned beans instead of dried – just add all the ingredients, skip the initial boiling and go straight to adding the rice.
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Add the washed rice to the beans and mix together. There should be about 2.5cm (1 inch) of water above the rice and beans – add more if needed, then cover the pot and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. While the rice is cooking, start on the curry.
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Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large non-stick pan or wok. Add the tofu and fry on each side until golden. Once cooked, remove the tofu cubes and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up any oil.
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Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in the same pan. Add the onions, garlic and pepper, and cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes, then add the turmeric, paprika, curry powder, scotch bonnet, dried thyme, crushed seasoning cube and bay leaf. Stir well to combine, and cook for another minute or 2 before adding the sweet potato and mixing thoroughly.
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Add about 500ml of water, then bring to the boil on medium heat. Once boiling, cover and lower the heat to a simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft and the curry has thickened.
Information:Squash or pumpkin work well with this recipe in place of the sweet potatoes.
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Add the spring onion and tofu cubes to the curry, then bring back to the boil and cook for a further 5 minutes. Once the curry is ready, carefully remove the scotch bonnet from the cooked rice and peas, and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve with a portion of the curry, scattered with the fresh coriander.
