Apricot Couscous Curry with Honey-Glazed Tofu

This is a nice, quick and easy meal that I make at least a couple of times a month. It is one of those wonderful few meals which everyone in my family likes. The couscous is tossed with a curry dressing (adapted from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone), dried apricots, and cubes of honey-glazed, fried tofu. It tastes good served warm or chilled, like a pasta salad.


Apricot Couscous Curry with Honey Glazed Tofu
2 cups dry couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ cups water
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped, dried apricots
12 oz block of extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil for frying
Curry dressing (see below)
sliced almonds (optional)

Curry dressing
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons yogurt
4 teaspoons curry powder
3 tablespoons lemon juice
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1. For the curry dressing, mix garlic and salt in a small bowl. Add the yogurt, curry powder and lemon juice and stir to combine. Whisk in the olive oil. Set aside. Stir in the chopped cilantro right before serving.

 

2. In a kettle or a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the dry couscous and, stirring frequently, lightly toast. Stir in the ¼ teaspoon salt, and then pour the hot water into the couscous. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 12 minutes.

 

3. Remove from heat. Stir couscous to fluff, then mix in the chopped, dried apricots. Cover the pot and let sit while you prepare the tofu.

4. Drain tofu. Cut into ½ inch cubes. Mix lemon juice, honey and salt in a small bowl and set aside.    

5. Cover bottom of a large cast iron or non-stick skillet with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. Put tofu in the pan and fry, stirring occasionally, until tofu is golden.

6. Pour honey mixture over tofu in the pan and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is cooked off and tofu is lightly glazed, about 1 minute.

 7. Add tofu to the couscous. Toss couscous mixture with the curry dressing. Serve topped with sliced almonds.