John Torode's spiced tofu with black-eyed pea salsa and smashed avo

Monday 10 September at 5:12pm

Will.I.Am and Taboo are in the kitchen with John Torode as he makes his own black eyed peas for... The Black Eyed Peas!

John's whipping up a tasty dish for the special guests, a vegan-friendly spiced tofu with a black eyed pea, tomato salsa and smashed avocado, which means it’s the perfect meat-free Monday meal.

Spiced tofu with black-eyed pea salsa and smashed avo

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the spiced tofu:

20g whole white peppercorns20g Maldon salt90g cornflour30g plain flour10g chilli powder100g garlic bulbsOil for deep frying300g firm tofu, cut into the size of a small match box, and kept wet50g fresh coriander, leaves picked

For the salsa:

2 tomatoes, finely dicedHalf red onion, finely dicedQuarter of a cucumber, finely diced2 red chilli, finely chopped2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander100g cooked and drained black eyed beans / peasJuice of 2 limesSplash of olive oil

For the quick slaw:

1 green cabbage shredded as fine as possible20ml olive oilBlack pepper

For the smashed avo:

2-3 large ripe avocados - you cannot smash an unripe avocado!!Half a lemon, juiced1 lime, juiced10 drops of tabasco

For the tomato mole:

20ml vegetable oil1 onion, chopped4 fresh long red chillies, chopped1 Ancho chilli, chopped3 Cascabel chillies, chopped1 clove garlic1 tin sweet corn, drained2 large tomatoes, choppedSalt freshly ground black pepper

John’s homemade chilli sauce (optional):

450ml white vinegar450ml sugar50g red chillies, chopped50g red pepper, choppedGarnish20g diced red chilli20g diced red peppers

To serve:

12 small soft taco shells (these need to be very small )Fresh coriander

Method

To make the tofu, crush the white pepper and the salt in a mortar and pestle, so that the pepper is a little smaller than kibble but not too fine. Mix the flours with the crushed salt and pepper and add the chilli powder.
Peel and slice the garlic. Fill a deep pan one third full with oil and heat to 180c. Carefully deep fry the sliced garlic and husks until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.
Toss the wet tofu in the seasoned flour mix and deep fry in batches until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper then top with some of the dressing, the fried garlic and some fresh coriander leaves.
To make the salsa, mix together the diced tomato, onion and cucumber. Add the chilli and combine together with the chopped coriander and then mix in the cooked black eyed peas.
Add lime juice, season with salt and add a splash of oil.
To make the slaw, place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl, drizzle over the oil and season with black pepper then toss to coat.
To make the smashed avocado, carefully cut the avocados in half lengthwise, and then all the way around the stone. Using a large spoon, scoop out the flesh and keep one of the stones.
Using a fork, mash the flesh very well, then add the lemon and lime juices with the Tabasco. Store in the fridge with the stone in the mixture and covered well with plastic wrap so it doesn’t discolour.
To make the tomato mole, heat a frying pan over a high heat. Add the oil, onion, chillies, garlic and sweetcorn and cook for 5 minutes until the onions are soft.
Add the tomatoes and season, give it a stir and reduce the heat to a simmer then cook slowly for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then blend until smooth.
To make the homemade chilli sauce, boil the vinegar and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved. Add the chilli and peppers and liquidise. Pour into a pan, add the diced chilli and pepper garnish and simmer until just tender. Season to taste.