Tofu, which originated in China thousands of years ago, came into Vietnamese cuisine during the thousand-year rule of Chinese rulership over Vietnam from approximately 100 BCE to 1000 CE. Today with the high cost of meat (usually reserved for special occasions and holidays) and the religious preference of vegetarian Buddhism, tofu still plays an important role in the country’s cooking. Cari chay combines tofu, bamboo and Asian eggplant in a relatively light dish suitable for any season. It is subtle with a light coconut milk broth spiced with curry powder. The last-minute addition of Vietnamese cilantro lends a floral finish. Serve with rice or baguette.

Ingredients
– 3 tbsp vegetable oil
– 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
– 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
– 1 to 1-1/2 tbsp Vietnamese Cari or store-bought Indian curry powder
– 1 tbsp palm sugar
– 1 quart (liter) thick coconut milk
– juice of 1 lime
– 2 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
– 2 tbsp annatto seed extract (optional)
– 2 stalk lemongrass, outer leaves discarded then bruised
– 2 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
– salt
– 1 lb (900 g) firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
– 1 large bamboo shoot, thinly sliced
– 2 Asian eggplants, halved lenthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
– 24 Vietnamese cilantro leaves or Thai basil leaves

Cooking Method
Heat the oil in a pan over high heat and stir-fry the garlic and shallot for about 5 minutes or until they are golden. Add the curry powder and palm sugar and continue to stir-fry for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, annatto seed extract, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Adjust the seasoning with salt and add the tofu, bamboo shoot, and Asian eggplants. Simmer, covered for about 15 minutes or until the eggplants is tender.
Serve, garnished with Vietnamese cilantro or Thai basil.

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