OCTOBER RECIPE

White Button Mushrooms, Red Bell Peppers and Tofu Stir Fry

Mushrooms, Bell Peppers and Tofu are all quick cooking ingredients and you can have this dish prepared in a flash. The flavors that pop on your tongue, leave a very pleasant feeling of a dish that leaves your taste buds tingling for more. All the three main ingredients - Mushrooms, Tofu and Red Bell Peppers are a rich source of dietary fiber.

Nutritional and Health Benefits:

Mushrooms provide a unique support to the immune system. They help regulate unwanted inflammation, such as arthritis. Mushrooms are low in sodium and saturated fat and have a very low cholesterol level. It is rich in protein, folate, vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and D, iron, manganese, and zinc.

Tofu - A very rich source of calcium, phosphorous, manganese and protein. The cholesterol level in this food is also very low.

Bell Peppers or Capsicum Annum - The red variety of this vegetable is sweet in comparison to the green and purple variety. A very ornamental vegetable with its exterior all glossy and colorful. Bell peppers come in green, red, yellow, orange, purple and black colors. Bell peppers are a rich source of Vitamin C and carotenoids. Red bell peppers help prevent esophagus and gastric cancer.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes; cooking time: 10 minutes; serves: 6

Ingredients:

• Onion (white or yellow) - 1 medium
• Tomatoes - 2 large
• Garlic cloves - 5
• Ginger - 2 inches
• Green chilies - 3
• Mushrooms - 2 cups sliced or 200 grams (about 20 mushrooms)
• Red Bell Pepper - 1 medium
• Tofu - I packet

Dry Ingredients

• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Red chili powder - ¼ tsp
• Vegetable Masala powder - ¼ tsp (can substitute with Pulao mix also)
• Jeera powder - ¼ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsps
• Water - 1 cup

Method:

1. Dice the onions finely.

2. Chop the tomatoes.

3. In a blender (mixee) jar, grind the garlic, ginger and green chilies, to a fine paste.

4. Cut the bell pepper in half (tip: when cutting the bell pepper in half, cut it horizontally), remove and discard the seeds. Slice each half of the pepper into thin pieces.

5. Slice the tofu into one inch bite sized pieces.

6. Place a skillet on the stove top, on medium high flame, add the oil.

7. Toss in the onions and sauté, until the onions are translucent.

8. Add in the tomatoes and stir till the tomatoes melt down.

9. Add in the ground ginger-garlic-green chili paste, sauté for 2-3 minutes.

10. Next add in the dry ingredients and salt, stir until the oil starts to bubble up.

11. Add in the sliced red pepper and sauté, add in some water to allow the pepper to cook.

12. Add in the mushrooms, once the red peppers are half cooked and allow the vegetables to simmer on low heat, until cooked (3-4 minutes).

13. Add in the diced tofu and stir fry. (For this recipe Sriracha Tofu was used, which added that extra bit of spice to the dish. If desired plain tofu can be marinated in Sriracha sauce before using it in the dish, though care must be taken to monitor the spice level).

14. Turn off the stove and serve this dish hot or cold.

This vegetable combo can be mixed into white rice and eaten as stir fried rice or it could be served with any of the Indian breads. It can also be used as a stuffing in baked breads, or in a vegetable wrap.