Day Twenty-seven of #30dayscleansingchallenge
Sunday is the day when the whole family around you guzzle down all kinds of dead animals while you feel terrible with some sambar rice and potato poriyal (best combo, btw) on your plate. Adding on to that misery, today is Easter Sunday, when eggs are the highlight. Such days are the worst for your emotional journey :P But it does not have to be that way when you have Tofu in hand! I was an animal-eater (13 years back) enjoying egg (read as ‘hen period’) scramble before becoming sagacious (aka Plant-based). Now in the vegan world, we find meat substitutes such as mushrooms, soy chunks and unripe jackfruit. But eggs are always difficult to substitute as one ingredient as they perform differently in each dish. I cannot use flax egg (1 tbsp flax seed meal + 3 tbsp water) used for baking for making an omelet. Same way its impossible to use bananas (used to sub eggs/oil in baking) for making egg chilly masala. But this tofu can be used to make any egg dish! Tofu (bean curd) is a popular food derived from soy beans. It is made by curdling fresh soy milk, pressing it into a solid block and then cooling it – in much the same way that traditional dairy cheese is made by curdling and solidifying milk. The liquid (whey) is discarded, and the curds are pressed to form a cohesive bond. Possessing high protein content, they stay coagulated and mimic eggs in several ways. Like many soy foods, tofu originated in China. Legend has it that it was discovered about 2000 years ago by a Chinese cook who accidentally curdled soy milk when he added nigari seaweed. Introduced into Japan in the eighth century, tofu was originally called 'Okabe'. Its modern name did not come into use until 1400. There are tonnes of egg dishes using tofu, today I made Scrambled Tofu.
Here are few things needed:
One block of Tofu
Turmeric powder
Garam masala
Pink himalayan salt
Cumin
Sesame seeds
Ginger
Garlic
Onion
Capsicum
Tomato
Green peas
How to scramble?
Boil some water with salt in it, place the block of tofu in it for few mins to reduce the raw taste and soften it.
In a kadai or skillet, dry roast cumin and sesame seeds.
Add in finely chopped onion, garlic and ginger.
After sautéd well, add in scrambled tofu, turmeric powder, garam masala and cook well.
Splash in some soy milk or water if this sticks to the pan.
Chop up all other veggies and add them too to cook along with the tofu.
Get egg-cited and devour!
Nutri facts per 100gms of tofu:
Protein- 17.19 g
Vitamin K- 3.0 mcg
Folate- 23.9 mcg
Choline- 35.4 mg
Calcium- 253 mg
Iron- 2.0 mg
Magnesium- 46.6 mg
Phosphorus- 152 mg
Potassium- 186 mg
Sodium- 15.1 mg
Zinc- 1.0 mg
Copper- 0.3 mg
Manganese- 0.8 mg
Selenium- 12.5 mcg
Soy protein (from which tofu is derived) is believed to help lower levels of bad cholesterol (LDL).
Tofu contains phytoestrogens called isoflavones (a group of chemicals found in plant foods) that have a similar structure to the female hormone oestrogen and therefore mimic the action of oestrogen produced by the body, bind to oestrogen receptor sites in human cells including breast cells potentially reducing the risk of breast cancer.
Genistein, the predominant isoflavone in soy, contains antioxidant properties that inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Isoflavones decrease bone loss and increase bone mineral density.
There are many controversies related to soy intake that can be cleared with a better explanation here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/278340.php?page=2
Animal products (flesh, organs, bones, mammary gland secretions) contain very high cholesterol that leads to heart attack, obesity and other lifestyle diseases. So if someone is concerned about health, they would be plant-based. Plants have healthy fats that help lowering the bad cholesterol and lead a disease free life. So, without a thought, say yes to tofu!
