Also Known as Tahu Telor
This delicious dish can be called a cousin to the famous gado gado salad of Indonesia. Easy to make and assemble.
Having lived in Indonesia for 35 years, my taste buds have got used to the delicious food available here, except for tofu, or tahu as it is known here. For me, given a choice between tofu and paneer, paneer wins hands down any day. But on the other hand, tofu and tempe are staples in the Indonesian diet and a good source of protein. Both tofu and tempe are also present at afternoon meals in our home too, fried, sautéed, steamed, any which way. So I have learnt to befriend tofu in some dishes.
Growing up in India, we did not really know much about tofu. Even with the advent of Chinese restaurants, which started mushrooming all over India during the 1970s, tofu was not part of their menu. Chinese food was, of course, egg fried rice, Hakka noodles, and veg Manchurian 😊. The awesome Chindian food, especially catering to the Indian palate. Frankly speaking, I still love that particular Chindian food, which I definitely make it a point to have when in Pune. The spring rolls at Chinese Room are my favourite.
Tofu is now easily available in India, and many people have replaced paneer with tofu in the new fad vegan diets.
So on to today’s recipe. Please do try it.
Best eaten with warm sauce.
Ingredients
- 300 gms tofu or paneer, cut into small cubes
- 3 eggs
- 100 gms fried peanuts, with skin or without
- Plus 4 tbsp fried peanuts
- 100 gms beansprouts, blanched
- 4 tbsp chopped celery
- 4 tbsp finely chopped spring onions
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, middle stalk removed
- 1 big cucumber, slit and chopped into semi circles
- 4 tbsp fried onions
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp veg stock powder or MSG
- 3 bird chillies
- 3 red chillies
- 3 pods garlic
- 30 gms palm sugar, boiled with a little water and strained
- 3 tbsp tamarind pulp
Method
- Sauté the red chillies, bird eye chillies, and garlic in 2 tbsp oil.
- In a mixer jar, add the fried peanuts, chillies, and garlic. Add salt, pepper, veg stock powder, and kaffir lime leaves. Add some water and blend to a thick paste.
- Heat 2 or 3 tbsp oil and add the peanut paste. Sauté for a while, then add the palm sugar and tamarind water. Add about one cup of water and let it cook till the oil starts separating. Keep aside.
- Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Add the tofu cubes and mix well.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and slide in a ladle of the egg and tofu mixture. Do this in batches. I got about 8 small omelettes.
- Stir for a bit and let it semi set. After a while, flip it over and cook lightly.
- Slide onto a serving platter. Top with cucumber, beansprouts, peanut sauce, celery leaves, spring onions, fried onions, and some fried peanuts.
- Serve warm. Enjoy.