– Poblano pepper or green bell pepper – Olive oil or avocado oil – Medium yellow or red onion – Garlic cloves – Tomato paste – Ground Cumin – Mexican oregano or regular oregano – Ancho chile powder – Kosher salt – Black pepper – Super firm tofu – Roma tomatoes – Chipotle pepper – Red wine vinegar
Broil the poblano pepper. There are two ways to do this: 1. Underneath the broiler in the oven. 2. Over a gas burner on high heat (stem removed first). Once it’s broiled, blistered, and blackened, that’s it. No need to peel or de-seed.
Saute the aromatics. Add the onions to a hot pan with oil. Saute until they start to get some color, then add the garlic. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, oregano, chile powder, salt, and pepper. Finish by stirring in the chopped tomatoes. Cook until they’re soft, then transfer the mixture to a blender and clean out the pan.
Blend the sauce. Add the broiled poblano pepper, chipotle peppers in adobo, vinegar, and water to the blender with the tomato mixture. Blend until relatively smooth. Taste, adjusting seasonings as desired.
Slice the tofu into 4 slabs and gently press with a towel to remove some water. Crumble the tofu into small pieces in a bowl. Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and add the crumbled tofu in a single packed layer. Cook undisturbed for a few minutes, then flip and repeat a few times, until mostly browned.
Add the sauce. Pour the blended sauce over the tofu in the pan and simmer until thickened and saucy, stirring occasionally until it starts to thicken. Adjust the flavor as needed and finish it off with fresh lime juice and cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!