First Dish

First made dish off the list is the Chile Tofu (pg. 177). It would have been nice if a great deal of thought went into choosing this first dish, but I was making a grocery list for the week and chose a bunch of recipes from East that I already had most of the ingredients for. The Chile Tofu was a quick one among those on the first grocery list, and so it became the first. And it turned out! It’s a small relief. It’s about the only thing that turned out right for me today, so thankfully it came last. It’s nice to finish the day on a successful endeavor rather than that other kind that comprised my work day.

Making the dish felt a leeeettle bit like I was just burning up spices in the frying pan, but when you add water and the peppers it all blends together into the sauce you’re hoping for. Last month I made some hummus for my parents, and put an extra garlic clove in because I like it that way. That one extra was all it took to have my Dad leave the stuff alone. I’m pretty sure the Chile Tofu would have knocked him out. I use a small, toothed dish for crushing my garlic and it was overflowing at the prescribed amount, or better described as the perfect amount. Chef Sodha says to serve the dish by itself if you’re Indian, or with some chapattis, greens, or a salad if you’re not. We are not Indian, so we had it with a leafy salad.

The plan is to make every dish just as written, but I’ve run into some trouble sourcing the right ingredients. We live in Toronto, a city with as much culinary diversity as any, so I’d be surprised if ingredients like gochujang and Kashmiri chile powder aren’t readily available. I guess the trick is knowing where to go. I haven’t had issues finding East- and South-Asian ingredients in the past, but Chef Sodha has thrown a few trickier ones at me in East.