TVP Curry

I'm like Oliveto: each day's menu consists of new items to entice and impress, but items from the day before stay on to comfort and reassure you. So I went from turkey to turkey curry to curry with TVP. Will I eat TVP with something else tomorrow? Wait and see!

Okay, I'm nothing like Oliveto. That's just my runaway ego talking. But I did segue flawlessly from meateater to vegan in less than a day, thanks to TVP (textured vegetable protein). I'm pretty spittin' happy with this curry. The flavor and texture are very close to that of Indian eggplant curry (Baingan Bharta), so it totally satisfied my craving without separating me from $8 of my money.

TVP is a great way to increase your protein intake without a lot of fat, plus it's dried so you don't have to worry about it going bad. This recipe is also an easy way to get rid of any vegetables lurking in your fridge, threatening to go bad.

• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 cup grated vegetables
• 2 Tbs. curry powder
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• a dash of dried ground ginger
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• salt
• pepper

To use TVP, you have to re-hydrate it first. Follow the instructiong on the package. Mine called for a cup of boiling water to be poured over 7/8 cup of TVP, then covered for 5-10 minutes. The TVP will get fluffy and crumbly, sort of like broken up wet croutons.

Sautee all the vegetables, curry powder, garlic, and ginger together until the onions are very soft. Add the stock and TVP, cover, and simmer. When the stock has reduced and everything is very soft, stir in the yogurt. Salt and pepper to taste.

The TVP added nice bulk to the curry, which you can kind of see in the photo. I think the same thickness could be achieved by using more vegetables. I'm thinking eggplants, potatoes, cauliflower, or even carrots would be tasty.

If only I had some naan...