Chili-Mustard-Tamarind-Glazed Tofu

My first experiment in the "use up some of that damn dry mustard" project was this chili glaze I found on epicurious.  I was excited because of the combination of spicy chilies with tangy mustard and tamarind.  Due to a situation of supply and demand, I skimped a bit on the tamarind and upped the mustard.  I witnessed first hand the binding power of dry mustard: the sauce got a bit thicker.  I used the method from my recipe for marinated tofu, pressing the tofu first and then cooking slabs of tofu in the sauce in the oven for a long time until the liquid was gone.

But I didn't like it very much.  I think this recipe could be really great, but two things were problems: first, there is no salt in this recipe, which left it tasting just sort of... off.  Secondly, I wanted to use the tofu later, cold, for sandwiches and salads and the like, and the honey crystallized and got crunchy!  I think a version that uses some tamari and far less sugar could be really great, but this version wasn't, at least not on tofu.

Chili-Mustard-Tamarind-Glazed Tofu

(glaze recipe adapted from epicurious)

Ingredients

1 block firm tofu (pressed is optional)

5 dried chilies, toasted and ground

3/4-1 c hot water

1 1/2 TB tamarind paste

1/2 c fresh orange juice

1 1/2 TB fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 TB red wine vinegar

2 TB olive oil

2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 cup honey (or agave)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350*.  Combine marinade ingredients (everything except the tofu).  Cut block of tofu into about 12 slabs (including one width-wise cut).  Place slabs on the bottom of a baking dish, then pour sauce over the top.  Bake for about an hour, flipping the tofu several times during cooking, until most of the liquid is gone.

 *

In other news, my living room is a very new color!  Goodbye, greenish-beige, and hello, coziness!  This also means I can never move out.

Before:

After:

Obviously, I'm still trying out colors around the corner in the kitchen...