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Pushpesh Pant
On an idle summer afternoon, time passes slowly. A foodie friend tries quizzing to keep us from yawning. We tripped on an easy one last time: What is it that provides us with milk and curd as well as flour for bread, can be cooked as lentils and, if that’s not enough, be pressed to obtain cooking oil? The answer, my friends, is soyabean. How could we goof up after having been brought up on chutkani and rasa, slow cooked in cast iron kadahi in our childhood in Uttarakhand? Not to forget bhaat ke dubke aka bhaiyaa porridge, cooked without salt and very nourishing.
What villagers in the Himalayan region claimed has now been validated by scientists. We are told soyabean packs twice as much more digestible protein as an equal measure of meat. It can legitimately claim to be superfood. Food historians tell us the bean was domesticated thousands of years ago in China, where from it spread world over. In East Asia, it is most commonly used as bean curd called tofu, a product that resembles paneer. Japanese miso is a close cousin. The sauce comes primarily in two varieties — dark and light and is used both as seasoning and flavouring/topping. It is used widely in Southeast Asian cuisines.
Those who are allergic to lactose or gluten rely on soya milk or soy flour. Of course, vegans love it and substitute it for dairy in chocolates, ice creams and other confections.
Extruded soyabean products are considered healthier than chips and other fried stuff. In India, soya chunks, mince and champ mimic meat to tickle the palate of vegetarians who can’t help drooling over meaty morsels. Soyabean oil is believed to be good for all those who are worried about cholesterol.
On a recent visit to a Chinese restaurant in Vasant Kunj in the Capital, we treated ourselves to an extremely satisfying plate of starters — fried corn curd. Deep fried yes, but not a drop of excess fat to give us a guilty conscience. Paired with honey-laced sauce, it was sheer bliss. Another dish on the menu paired it with Chinese greens and mushrooms. We must confess it tempted us a lot but we decided against too much of a good thing on one day. In any case, if you are partial to kadahi paneer, you may easily combine other elements to the deep-fried bean curd to indulge yourself.
Easy to cook, light on the stomach and rich in nourishment — what more can one ask for...
Fried bean curd
Ingredients
Method
Heat oil in a wok. Cut tofu into small cubes. Sprinkle over with five-spice powder and soya sauce. Lightly dust with cornflour. Deep fry in batches till golden. Take care not to overcook! This takes only seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil on kitchen towels. Serve with sweet chilly sauce mixed with a few drops of honey.
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