Sweet Potato and Harissa Tofu Tacos
A vegan taco recipe with filling sweet potato, creamy garlic and chickpea spread and crispy punchy harissa tofu mince.
Equipment
- Clean towel
- Large saucepan
- Ladle
- Oven
- Food processor
- Heavy pot or other heavy object
- Kitchen towels
- Frying pan x2
- Small food processor
Ingredients
For the garlic dip (optional, store bought hummus works as well)
- 7 oz - 200 gr dried chickpeas soaked for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight
- 3 heads garlic cloves separated but not peeled
- olive oil
- t t - 5 gr baking soda
- 1/4 c - 60 ml olive oil
- pinch salt
- 1/4 c - 60 ml lemon juice fresh preferred
- 1 t - 5 gr salt
- 1/4 t - 1.5 gr cumin powder
- 1/2 c - 120 ml tahin
- t T - 15 gr miso
- 3 ice cubes
- 3/4 c - 180 ml cooking liquid from the chickpeas, see instructions
For the harissa (optional, store bought harissa works as well)
- 1/4 t - 1.5 gr coriander seed
- 1/4 t - 1.5 gr fennel seed
- 2 T - 30 ml red wine vinegar Balsamic also works
- 3 cloves garlic smashes and peeled
- 2 T - 30 gr tomato puree
- juice of half a lemon
- 4 T - 60 ml olive oil
- 1 1/2 T - 45 gr smoked sweet paprika
- 1/4 t - 1.5 gr chili flakes
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch black pepper
- pinch salt
For the minced tofu - optional, store bought (vegan) mince is fine too
- 9 oz - 250 gr firm tofu get it from an Asian supermarket and thank me later
- 1/2 T - 5 gr corn starch other starchy flours also work
- pinch salt
- neutral oil for frying
For the sweet potato
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 T -15 gr corn flour or any other starchy flour
- neutral oil
To finish
- 4 tortilla's I prefer corn, but you do you
- bunch curly parsley optional, chopped
Instructions
Make the chickpea garlic dip (optional, store bought hummus works as well)
- You can also buy ready-made hummus of choice.
- Preheat an oven to 160° C - 320° F.
- Spread the individual unpeeled garlic cloves in an even layer across an oven tray. Coat evenly in olive oil and salt generously.
- Roast the garlic cloves until they have gone soft and squishy, in my oven this takes about 30-45 minutes.
- Drain the soaked chickpeas, place them on a kitchen towel and dry them off gently.
- Move the chickpeas to a heavy-based pan with the baking soda and cook on a low heat while stirring vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes or so.
- Cover the chickpeas until they are submerged in about an inch of cold water and bring to a boil.
- Leave to simmer until they are soft. This should take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the quality and age of your chickpeas. Use a ladle to remove any foam or chickpea skins that come bubbling to the surface. Add water if your chickpeas appear to be drying out, but haven't softened yet.
- Drain the chickpeas, making sure you hang on to the cooking liquid. You'll need it for the next step.
- Peel or smoosh the garlic out of their skins.
- Place the chickpeas,1/4 c - 60 ml olive oil and garlic mush into a food processor along with a first scoop of the cooking liquid. Blitz for 2 minutes. Add more of the liquid if your food processor starts to struggle.
- Finally add 1/4 c - 60 ml lemon juice, 1 t - 5 gr salt, 1/4 t - 1.5 gr cumin, 1/2 c - 120 ml tahin, 1 T - 15 gr miso and 3 ice cubes and blend again for at least 2 minutes until well combined and fluffy. If your food processor is struggling again use a wooden spoon to beat the ingredients together until the last of the ice cubes as dissolved completely.
Make the harissa (optional, store bought harissa works as well)
- You can also buy read-made harissa.
- Toast the 1/4 t - 1.5 gr of coriander and fennel seeds in a dry pan until aromatic.
- Add the toasted coriander and fennel, 2 T - 30 ml red wine vinegar, 3 cloves of garlic, juice of half a lemon, 1/4 c - 60 ml olive oil, 1 1/2 T - 30 gr sweet smoked paprika, 1/4 t - 1.5 gr chili flakes and pinches of nutmeg, black pepper and salt to a small food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt or spice as you see fit.
Make the minced tofu - optional, store bought (vegan) mince is fine too
- You can also use store-bought mince of choice.
- Press 9 oz - 250 gr of tofu by placing it between some kitchen towels and placing a heavy object on top for 30 minutes or so. I use a cast iron Dutch oven but use what you have.
- While this is happening we're going to start the potato cubes and come back to the tofu once those are in the oven.
Bake the sweet potato cubes
- Preheat your oven to 175° C - 350° F.
- Lightly coat the sweet potato cubes in sunflower oil and 1/2 T - 7 gr of corn starch. Do not salt the cubes until removing them from the oven.
- Place the sweet potato cubes on a sheet of parchment on a baking tray and cook until they start to brown on the edges. Usually this takes between 20-30 minutes. Be sure to check regularly because sweet potato has a tendency to burn fast.
Back to the tofu
- Crumble the tofu into a bowl. The pieces should remain of uneven in size and shape, as if you've fried off some actual minced meat in a frying pan.
- Thinly coat the crumbled tofu with 1/2 T - 7 gr corn flour or any starch at hand and salt generously.
- Fry the crumbled tofu in a thin layer of neutral oil in a (non-stick) frying pan. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and ensure crisp. Fry the tofu until golden and partially crispy.
- Drain on kitchen towel before mixing with 2-3 T - 30-45 gr of the harissa.
Compose your tacos
- Heat your tortillas the way you normally would, I like to heat mine in a dry non-stick frying pan until they begin to crisp.
- Now assemble your tacos: use a back of a spoon to spread the ehr... spread on your taco, top with the harissa coated crispy tofu and oven baked (and salted!) sweet potato and a few sprigs of fresh parsley.