Tofu in Tamari Ginger Broth
by Jessica Sandhu
Ayurvedic Insights
The sea vegetable kombu makes beans and tofu more digestible. As Western medicine explains it, enzymes in kombu break down the raffinose sugars in beans that cause gas. Once those sugars are broken down, we can more easily enjoy beans and tofu, and reap their nourishing rewards.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 pound extra-firm tofu
½ cup tamari
1 ½ tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 small piece of kombu, about ½ inch square
¾ cup bok choy (white and light green parts only), sliced ½-inch thick
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
Drain the tofu and place in a colander in the sink. Place a small bowl on tofu and then put a large can of tomatoes or beans on the bowl. Let the tofu press for 20 minutes to drain the access water. Cut the drained tofu into 1-inch cubes.
Place the tofu cubes, tamari, ginger, kombu, and 1 ½ cups water in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Uncover, stir in the bok choy, and simmer until it is just barely tender, about 3 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and ¼ cup cold water to make a slurry. Bring the broth mixture back to a boil over high heat and stir in the slurry. Boil until the mixture thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve warm with the broth.
Option
Use the tofu and broth as the basis of a stirfry. Cook the veggies of your choice (carrots, celery, bok choy, peppers, broccoli, and garlic) in a hot wok or saute pan. At the very end of cooking, add the cooked tofu and some of the ginger broth.