Tamarind Tofu Noodle Bowl

So, we just got back from our most recent pilgrimage to New Orleans.  We visited some old stand bys like Palace Cafe and Muriels, but we tried some new places this time, too.  The first dinner we had was at Lost Love Lounge, which is in the Bywater or the Marigny depending on who is telling you were it is.  They have a kitchen in the back, and I had remembered reading about it in the Underground New Orleans book we bought a couple of years ago.  And it was super close to the B&B we were staying at, so within an hour of touch down we were there for drinks and dinner.

One of us ordered their vegetarian Pho, as it was raining, and the other ordered the Fried Tamarind Tofu. Both were great, as were the kimchi dumplings we had as a starter.  We left determined to make the tofu dish at home (OK, I left determined to make it and D left determined to try it out when I did).

I've lightened this up considerably, as the original is batter dipped and fried.  Dani declared it better than the restaurant version because my version is heavier on the tamarind.

Tofu Tamarind Noodle Bowl
Serves four--inspired by Lost Love Lounge, NOLA

• 1 block of Extra-Firm Tofu, drained and pressed*
• Coconut oil for the pan (just a bit. If you are using a nonstick and want to avoid all fat, just skip this and dry fry it; any oil will be fine, too, I just thought the coconut sounded good)
• 1 onion, sliced in half then in crescent shaped slices
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 crown of broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon or more of grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin (toast the seeds and grind them if you have whole)
• salt
• 2 Tablespoons of tamarind concentrate
• 1-2 Tablespoons of reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
  
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
  8 ounces of rice noodles cooked (do this right before plating, as they will stick together. If they are done before everything else is, you can put them in a water bath (cold water to stop them from becoming a solid mass and to stop the cooking). 
  
• For garnish/serving: Garlic chili paste, cilantro
  
  For the tofu:  Remove the tofu from the package, draining off the water.  Put a clean kitchen towel under the block and a clean one on top.  I tend to put my smallest cutting board on top of that and then my iron skillet (you know, the one I broke the handle off of pressing tofu before?) on top of that.  Let this sit for a good 20-30 minutes to get the excess water out.  This will allow you to get a good crust on the tofu and will keep it from spitting at you.
  
  Once the tofu has been pressed, cut it into cubes and brown in a skillet.  A non-stick with a tiny bit of oil works really well, and as I said above, non-stick with no oil is fine.  Set the browned tofu aside.
  
  For the vegetables:  In your hot non-stick skillet, stir fry the vegetables. I like a bit of char on my onions, so those go in first to the hot pan.  I'm also a "crisp tender" kind of gal, so the broccoli and carrots don't need a whole lot of tending.  Stir fry to your likeness and throw in the garlic just at the end to heat through a bit.  Turn this out on a plate or cutting board.  You're going to use that pan for the sauce.
  
  For the Sauce: Throw in the ginger, brown sugar, tamarind concentrate and spices.  Stir in the liquid ingredients and taste to ensure it's at a good level of saltiness.  Once this comes together and is rather syrupy, throw in the tofu and make sure it's glazed well.  Cook for 2-3 minutes to heat the tofu back up and toss the vegetables in at the end, heating to the desired temperature.
  
  Enjoy!