If you’re following along on the blog, you’ll see that I am embracing the joy of my slow cooker and making this vegan creamy tofu slow cooker curry has only fed into that passion for it! There’s nothing like coming home to the smell of delicious home cooking after a long day out hiking, walking or working.
This is yet another addition to my vegan slow cooking recipes too, which I’m pleased is growing. So many slow cooker cook books out there are heavily aimed towards meat and I personally (I think you’ll agree) think that there are so many veggie and vegan meals that need to be made into slow cooker versions. Veggie food is amazing and my mini mission is to make as many slow cooker friendly as possible to help you to fall back in love with home cooking!
I know when the colder months start drawing in, the comfort foods come out. With us walking far more these days, I know that we’re going to need something hearty and protein packed to keep us going at full pelt and filling the gap left in our tummies after a good 10 mile walk. Rooting through my old meal plans, recipe books and magazine cuttings, I came across a couple of variations of tofu curries and decided to blend them together and make it in the slow cooker.
I had planned for this on Sunday as I was supposed to be attending an all day conference and it was the day after my good friend Simon’s wedding so I knew that I would be flagging by the evening. So bright and early, I got chopping and prepping so that I could sit back and relax that evening while tucking into a delicious freshly homemade curry.
Vegan Creamy Tofu and Pepper Slow Cooker Curry
Although it looks like a lot of ingredients, it isn’t as bad as it looks. If you’re into your curries, I would advice you to set up a shelf or cupboard for your regularly used spices. Most of these are included in lots of my recipes and will come out from the cupboard time and time again.
Ingredients:
1 pack of Tofu (I used Cauldron)
1 pack of silken tofu, blended into a cream
3 sweet peppers, chopped into inch sized pieces
1 large onion, diced
400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 inches of fresh ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp unrefined brown sugar
a bunch of fresh coriander
1/2 tsp chilli powder (use hot, medium or mild to your taste)
4 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground coriander
1.5 tsp mustard seeds
1.5 tsp cumin seeds
1/a tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of frozen peas
Method:
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and chilli flakes, fry until they begin to pop and the aromas start filling the kitchen then add to the slow cooker pot
In the same pan, add a dash more oil and fry the onions over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened, then add these to the slow cooker too
Add to the pot the remaining spices (turmeric, chilli powder, cardamom pods and ground coriander) along with the sugar, grated ginger, tomato puree and tinned tomatoes
Place the block of firm tofu into the frying pan and cook until browned on the outside
Remove from the heat and chop into cubes (this stage is optional, but it does give the tofu a bit more of a cooked flavour and also a bit of colour too. But you can save time by just chopping and chucking it in – it’ll still be delicious!)
Add the chopped tofu to the and pour in the blended silken tofu
Stir all the ingredients through and add a little bit of water if the mixture is too thick
Place the lid onto the slow cooker and cook on low for between 6-10 hours
When you go through to start cooking the rice, pop the cup of peas into the curry and stir through. These will cook through while you’re making the rice and add that little pop of freshness to the curry and a bit of colour too.
Serve with rice, chopped coriander and poppadoms for a delicious, fulfilling and comforting meal
This can come out really hot ad spicy, so if you’re the milder kind of curry eater, then leave out the chilli powder in the beginning mix. You can always cool it down with some soya yoghurt though and the rice cools it down slightly!
I personally love a bit of heat in my curry though, especially when it’s chilly outside or I have a cold that I want to blow from my system – nothing quite like it and you can taste it too, f you’re feeling under the weather!
Here’s to slow cooker recipe development!
Do you like your curries hot and spicy or mild and creamy? What is your favourite way to warm up on a cold evening?
Share in the comments below!
- 1 pack of Tofu (I used Cauldron)
- 1 pack of silken tofu, blended into a cream
- 3 sweet peppers, chopped into inch sized pieces
- 1 large onion, diced
- 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 inches of fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 tbsp unrefined brown sugar
- a bunch of fresh coriander
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder (use hot, medium or mild to your taste)
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1.5 tsp mustard seeds
- 1.5 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/a tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and chilli flakes, fry until they begin to pop and the aromas start filling the kitchen then add to the slow cooker pot
- In the same pan, add a dash more oil and fry the onions over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened, then add these to the slow cooker too
- Add to the pot the remaining spices (turmeric, cardamom pods, chilli powder and ground coriander) along with the sugar, grated ginger, tomato puree and tinned tomatoes
- Place the block of firm tofu into the frying pan and cook until browned on the outside
- Remove from the heat and chop into cubes (this stage is optional, but it does give the tofu a bit more of a cooked flavour and also a bit of colour too. But you can save time by just chopping and chucking it in – it’ll still be delicious!)
- Add the chopped tofu to the and pour in the blended silken tofu
- Stir all the ingredients through and add a little bit of water if the mixture is too thick
- Place the lid onto the slow cooker and cook on low for between 6-10 hours
- Serve with
- rice
- and poppadoms for a delicious, fulfilling and comforting meal