This was a seriously tasty, easy to make meal using store-cupboard ingredients. I used a  recipe from The foodie takes flight,and it seriously tastes as good as it looks.

Serve it with steamed green vegetables for a healthy weeknight meal.

Ingredients

• 2 blocks extra firm tofu (around 240g each), sliced into 1-inch cubes
• 1 heaping tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt (for the tofu)
• 2 tbsp canola oil, for pan-frying
• ½ cup bell pepper, sliced into squares
• 1 onion, sliced into squares
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• Sesame seeds and cilantro, for topping

Sweet and Sour Sauce

• 4 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tbsp Sriracha, optional
• 4 tbsp sugar (I used coconut sugar), adjust according to desired sweetness
• 3 tbsp distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch diluted in 3 tbsp water

​Instructions

I lifted this recipe straight from yesterday’s Dominion Post. It comes from Lisa and Brent Quarrie from Hayes Common and is absolutely delicious, not to mention easy to make and very adaptable.  I have written it here as it appeared in the paper, but I made a few changes to my own dish…

I used the Thai Yellow Curry spice paste from in my fridge-about 3 tablespoons and it was beautiful.  We also didn’t have most of the accompaniments that they suggest, so we used roasted peanuts, fried shallots, chopped chilli, hard boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, coriander, and chopped red onion. I encourage you to be creative and try your own toppings!

INGREDIENTS

Spice paste

You can use 3-4 tbsp of packaged red or yellow curry paste, but it is fun to make your own. Don’t worry if you don’t have everything on the list, you can omit, substitute, and create. Use what you’ve got on hand. Butternut soaks up flavours like a sponge.

3 garlic cloves
1 long red chilli, seeded and chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cm piece fresh turmeric, or 2 tsp ground turmeric
2 macadamias, almonds or brazil nuts
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 piece lemongrass stalk, roughly chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
Half an onion, diced
3 tsp maple syrup
Pinch salt

Other ingredients

3 tbsp coconut (or vegetable) oil
650g butternut (or pumpkin, kumara or potato), chopped into 2-3cm cubes
1 bay leaf
2 pieces lemongrass, knotted (or lemon zest, or lemongrass in a jar)
120ml coconut milk
2 tbsp soy sauce or fish sauce
1 tbsp fried shallots
3 kaffir lime leaves
400ml water

Method

Start by making the spice paste. Blitz all ingredients in a food processor until well combined into a golden yellow paste flecked with chilli and tomato skin.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot or a wok over medium heat and fry the spice paste for 30 seconds. Add the bay leaf, lemongrass and lime leaves and toss for 30 seconds.

Add chopped butternut to the pot and fry for 1 minute, then add the water and simmer until the butternut has softened and cooked through – about 30 minutes.

Add coconut milk and fried shallots – and soy or fish sauce – and gently simmer for 1 minute, until slightly thickened, then serve with steamed rice and any of the following accompaniments for an interactive family meal: chopped cucumber, roasted cashews, toasted coconut, eggplant or tomato sambal, cherry tomatoes, fresh coriander, sliced spring onion, crispy shallots, sliced chilli, grilled chicken, or tempeh, or meatballs.