Given that tofu itself does not add much body to a dish, you need a substantial sauce, like one with canned coconut milk as its base, to make up for the tofu’s blandness. Like heavy cream, coconut milk will thicken a sauce, making it luxurious in almost no time. The onion must be browned carefully and thoroughly: keep the heat high enough so that this happens in a timely fashion—it should take about ten minutes and in no case more than fifteen—but not so high that the onion burns. I call this level of heat “medium-high,” but all stoves are different; the oil should be bubbling but not smoking, and you must stir the onion every minute or so.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 tablespoons peanut, corn, or grape seed oil

　　1 large onion, minced

　　1 tablespoon curry powder, or to taste

　　1 cup roughly chopped walnuts or unsalted cashews

　　One 12- to 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

　　1 block firm tofu (about 1 pound), cut into roughly 3/4-inch cubes

　　2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste

　　Salt and cayenne

　　

Step 1

Put the oil in a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges of the onion pieces are well browned, about 10 minutes (for best flavor, the onions must brown but not burn). Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or so; add the nuts and cook, stirring occasionally, for about a minute.

　　

Step 2

Add the coconut milk. Stir, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to medium. Add the tofu, stir, and let the tofu heat through for about 3 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, then taste and adjust the seasoning with soy sauce, salt, and/or cayenne as necessary. Serve.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.