Cooking with Capsaicin: The Quick Fix
Posted on the 11th of December 2008 at 20:14 by Bodil
Welcome to my food blog. I did warn you, once, that I wanted to widen the scope of my blog a bit, especially since it’s becoming more difficult to blog about transitioning–I find I’m only reporting on the really big events, because the simple details, which once were excitingly blogworthy, are now simply a dull routine.
So, let me attempt to brighten your day with a passion of mine: spicy food, or, if you’re a naysayer, the systematic eradication of my taste buds through the application of unreasonable amounts of capsaicin.
First, let me say a few words about my diet. I’m a vegetarian by choice and inclination, if not always by deed. I’ll sometimes succumb and grab a kebab on my way home from a night on the town, but I’ll always regret it afterwards. Meat, on the whole, saps my energy and makes me feel like my whole digestive system is full of filth. Carnivores will scoff at this, but really, you need to have been a vegetarian for a while to appreciate how much cleaner your body feels without all those dead animals clogging up your system. So let them scoff. They’re the ones who are missing out.
My particular version of vegetarianism includes animal proteins in the form of dairy products. That is to say, if it’s OK for Krishna, it’s OK for me. The dish I’m presenting today, though, contains no such thing, and conforms to a strict vegetarian diet, which some (rather self-righteously, I feel) call “vegan.” It does, however, rather benefit from a sprinkling of grated mozarella or gouda, if you like. Oh, and if you really need it to be vegan, make sure the pasta you use contains no eggs.
I’m also going to recommend you use organic produce wherever possible. It’s not only more tasty, it also generally fails to be full of pesticides and other filthy stuff that will make you feel bad and shorten your life span.
Habañeros are ridiculously potent chilies, and no discerning capsaicin addict would settle for less. However, they may be hard to come by, so if you’re willing to forego the rush, jalapeños or similar more readily available chilies will do–as long as they’re fresh: no pickles. Consult the Scoville scale for a good fit.
Pasta with Tofu in Tomato/Cinnamon Sauce
Ingredients:
200 g block of tofu
1/4 zucchini
1 onion
1 clove garlic
2 habañeros
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
Dice the tofu into 1cm³ pieces. Heat some vegetable ghee or cooking oil in a frying pan, and fry the tofu for about one minute. Turn the pieces over and fry the other side for another minute. Set the tofu aside in a bowl.
Put the garlic and habañeros in a blender. Stop and think for a moment: are you really sure you want to use two habañeros? If you don’t feel up to it, remove one and don’t feel bad about it. Consider adding a third as carefully as you would consider the dosage for your first LSD trip. Consider again, and decide not to. You don’t fool around with habañeros.
Once you feel confident you’re not going to kill yourself, mince the garlic and habañeros into a fine paste.
Chop the onion and zucchini into sensible pieces.
Heat ghee/oil in a fair-sized pot. Put the cumin seeds in, and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the garlic and habañero paste. Stand well clear; capsaicin is a wonderful thing, but you don’t want to get it in your eyes or lungs. Stir for a few moments, and add the chopped onion. Sauté until the onion softens. Add the zucchini and sauté for a minute.
Pour the can of chopped tomatoes into the pot and stir. Add sugar, cinnamon, turmeric, basil and oregano, and stir well. If you feel there’s not enough liquid in the sauce, add water until you’re satisfied. If it seems too thin, add some tomato purée. Once you’re happy with it, add the tofu, turn down the heat a bit and leave it to boil until you run out of patience. Five to ten minutes would be good, so try to control yourself.
Serve with pasta, and enjoy.
