Sweet Potato Curry with Tofu

Packed with vitamins and fiber, super sweet potatoes make a vibrant base for this easy, family-pleasing curry. If you can find them, choose the extra-sweet jewel variety of sweet potatoes (they may be called "yams") with their vivid, smooth flesh. And if you're short on time, skip the frying step and add the tofu directly to the pan of simmering vegetables; it may fall apart a little, but it will still be saucy and good.

Ready In: 30 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 pound extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 1-inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled, smashed with the side of a heavy knife, and minced
3 teaspoons curry powder
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 pound sweet potatoes (2 medium), peeled and diced
1 cup green peas (frozen is fine)
kosher salt
Chopped cilantro and roasted peanuts for garnish

Directions

1. Press the tofu to dry it a bit: wrap it in a clean dish towel, and set a heavy pot on it while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat and sauté the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds or so, until just fragrant. Stir in the curry powder, then add the coconut milk, tomato paste, and water, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring.
3. Add the sweet potatoes and stir, then cover the pan and cook over low heat, at a gentle simmer, until the sweet potatoes are tender (around 15 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick pan and slice the tofu into 3/4-inch cubes. Fry the tofu for 10 minutes, turning it to brown as many sides as possible (don't try to brown them all -- just a few is fine).
5. Add the tofu and the green peas to the pan of sweet potatoes, and simmer it uncovered for 5 minutes to blend the flavors, cook the peas, and thicken the sauce.
6. Taste for salt (you may need to add a lot or a little, depending on whether there's salt in your curry powder) and serve with rice, garnished with chopped cilantro and peanuts.

See all recipes from Catherine Newman's "Dalai Mama Dishes" blog.