This delicious dish is based on Chraime -Traditional Jewish-North-African Fish Stew usually served on Friday evenings or holidays. The original dish is made with slices of fish cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.
We will replace the fish slices with tofu patties seasoned with seaweed powder and spices, brush them with olive oil and bake them in the oven.
In the meantime, we will make a tomato sauce with red bell pepper, chili pepper to taste, and plenty of spices.
Add the baked patties to the sauce and cook together for a few minutes. Finally, we get soft, meaty patties with a distinct fish flavor.
To serve: pour the sauce onto a serving plate, and arrange the meatballs on top. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with fresh challah.
Take a big bite that whets your appetite and wipe the plate clean.
If by some miracle, you’ll have leftovers for the next day – you’ll be surprised that the dish gets even better with time.
In short: This delicious Chraime is a must-have recipe for your collection!
Enjoy every bite, and let me know how it turned out 😋❣️
Tofu Patties
- 300 gram tofu plain or spicy
- 3 Tablespoon tahini or almond butter
- 3 Tablespoon bread crumbs or cornflakes crumbs
- 2 Tablespoon kelp powder or two nori sheets, see note
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- 10 leaves of 10 cilantro stems
- 2-3 cloves minced garlic
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ⅛ tsp ground turmeric optional
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper by taste
- olive oil for brushing
Tomato Sauce
- 2-3 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3-4 cloves minced garlick by taste
- ½ A quarter of green chili pepper, cleaned of seeds and finely chopped. optional, by taste
- 1 Red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or small cubes
- 500 gram ripe tomatoes
- 100 gram tomato paste
- ½ Tablespoon paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground caraway
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp sugar
- salt and pepper by taste
- 1 cup water
For Serving
- chopped cilantro, Challah/ bread, or couscous
Tofu Patties
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius – 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Put diced tofu, tahini, olive oil, breadcrumbs, cornstarch, seaweed, cilantro, garlic, spices, seaweed, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Moisten your palms, form flat meatballs, and arrange them on a baking tray lined with baking paper; brush with olive oil on both sides. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over and bake for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
Tomato Sauce
- Heat oil in a large skillet or pot. Add onion, and fry until translucent; add minced garlic, and fry for a few seconds. Add chili pepper and red bell pepper and fry until semi-soft.
- Put the tomatoes in a food processor, grind them and add them to the pan with the vegetables. Add tomato paste, spices, and sugar and mix well.
- Add water as needed until you get the desired consistency; Mix, taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for about ten minutes, occasionally checking the water level; Add more water if necessary, and mix.
- Take the meatballs out of the oven, let them cool for about five minutes, and add them to the sauce with a spatula or tongs (don't use a fork); Cook on low heat, covered for about 10 minutes—no need to flip them.
For Serving
- Pour sauce onto a serving plate; place patties over the tomato sauce using your hands or a spatula. Drizzle more sauce over the patties. (alternatively – you can flip the patties to cover them in sauce), sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro, and serve with challah/bread or couscous.
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