Tofu Fennel Veggie skewers - Cookbook win

It does feel good to win something, especially a cookbook for a foodie like me.
Sra had this wonderful event "My legume love affair" last month. I did send my recipes like I do for any normal event, and then came the pleasant surprise that I won a cookbook for the event. I did not even know there was a giveaway until then.
Thanks Curry Leaf for letting me know about the win first, and for sharing the enthusiasm :)
The winning legumey recipe I sent in for the event was Garbanzo beans & Potato Cutlet

Let's talk some skewers, grills and fennel...

Grill pan would be an ideal choice for making skewered vegetables, but it not necessary. I used a normal griddle, and worked out just fine. You may alternatively also try roasting in the oven.

Skewers are normally made from wood, and need to be soaked in water before punching in the veggies. Otherwise you will end up burning the skewers from the heat.
Nobody likes burnt wood on the vegetables now, do they?



Fennel bulbs have a mild anise flavor and are commonly mislabelled as "anise" in some supermarkets. When buying fennel bulb, look for a white bulb with nice bright green thin leaves (like in the picture above, yeah I did cut off the top before I realized I wanted to take a picture).
The bulb is basically inflated leaf bases and are layered (like an onion)
Fennel seeds are commonly used in Indian cooking for seasoning or as a spice.
Another one of my recipes, that uses fennel is Egg Puffs.

Tofu Fennel Veggie skewers

Ingredients:

Firm tofu - 1 package
Fennel - A bulb
Carrots - One or two
Green bell pepper - 1 large
Red onions - 1 large
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt - To taste
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Olive oil - 2 tsp
Wooden skewers

Method:

Cut all the veggies into large cubes.



Drain water completely off the tofu, wrap in towel and place an heavy object on it for about 15 min.
Cut tofu into the same size as the veggies into cubes, and toss together with salt, oil, pepper, turmeric and red chilly powder till completely coated with spices and oil.

I like to roast my tofu in the oven at 425F for 20-30 min before skewering. That way my tofu is well cooked and the veggies are a little raw and get grilled only after skewering.

Skewer all the vegetables and tofu, and grill them on a pan till the sides are brown and roasted.
Another option if you don't have a skewer or a grill pan would be to toss all the veggies and tofu into a hot wok and saute.

Serve hot with rice or noodles.