Tofu and French beans with chraimeh sauce

Ingredienti

Serves four

450g French beans, trimmed

I tbsp sunflower oil

400g firm tofu, cut into 2-3cm cubes and patted dry

15g coriander, roughly chopped salt

CHRAIMEH SAUCE

6 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp hot paprika

I tbsp caraway seeds, lightly toasted and crushed in a pestle and mortar

2 tsp ground cumin /½ tsp ground cinnamon

3 tbsp sunflower oil

3 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp caster sugar

2 limes: juice | to get

I tbsp, and cut the other into 4 wedges, to serve

Istruzioni

This is a lovely veggie main, served as it is or with some rice. Chraimeh is a piquant sauce from Libya. It Keeps well in the fridge. for at least a week (or can also be frozen and kept for a month, so make double or triple the quantities. It also works as a sauce for chicken or fish or just as a dip with bread before supper.

I. Fill a medium saucepan half full of water and place on a high heat. Once boiling, add the beans and boil for 5-6 minutes, until the beans are cooked but still retain a slight bite. Drain, refresh with cold water, drain again and set aside.

2. Put the oil into a large sauté pan and place on a medium high heat. Once hot, add the tofu and ⅓ teaspoon of salt and fry for 4-5 minutes, turning throughout so that all sides are golden- brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. To make the chraimeh sauce, mix together the garlic, spices and oil in a small bowl. Return the large sauté pan to a medium high heat and, once hot, add the garlic and spice mix. Fry for about a minute, then add the tomato paste, sugar, lime juice and / teaspoon salt. Stir to combine, then pour over 250ml of water to make a thin sauce. Once bubbling, stir frequently for about 2 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Return the beans to the pan and continue to cook for another minute, so that the sauce is thick and the beans are hot.

4. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the tofu and coriander. Divide between four shallow bowls and serve, with a wedge of lime alongside.