Indian Feast Night

I've been having a mega craving for some Indian food, but there isn't any place near me that sells it (I'm not really a fan of the canned stuff), so when the hunger strikes, I usually have to make it myself.

Well, the other day I was all cheerfully cooking in my kitchen for this meal. I had the rice a-simmering, the veggies a-caramelizing, and the lightly sauteed tofu cubes ready to be sauced. It was at this very moment that I remember I had to be at work at 2:00 pm instead of 4:00 pm and it was currently 1:00. I do this every single Monday, and I'm always cooking some sort of tasty meal when I remember I gotta leave. I quickly finished up the veggies and rice and stuffed everything in the fridge for later, and then scrambled got ready for work.

However, once I got home that night I was able to just simmer the tofu in some Madras simmer sauce from Seeds of Change (very tasty stuff, and this flavor is accidentally vegan) for about 10 minutes and then heat everything else up in the microwave. It came together very quickly. I then topped off the meal with a dollop of plain soyogurt to balance out all the spices.
It absolutely hit the spot. I was stuffed!

Indian Fennel, Cabbage, and Onions:
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 a head of green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
2 Tb. oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. curry powder
1/8 tsp. sea salt, optional or to taste
Juice of 1/2 a lemon, about 2 Tb.

1. In a dutch oven, saute the fennel and onion in oil about five minutes until softened. Add the cumin and fennel seeds and saute another couple of minutes, or until fragrant.
2. Add the cabbage, then cover, reduce heat and allow the cabbage to wilt down and the veggies to caramelize, about twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little bit of water to the pot if the veggies seem to be sticking.
3. Add the curry powder, sea salt, and lemon juice (don't forget it! It provides balance!), then stir and cover and allow to cook for another five minutes. Done.

Serve alongside Indian food as a mild veggie side dish!