Meera Sodha’s chili tofu

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 pounds firm tofu dried and cut into 1-inch cubes
• cornstarch
• canola oil
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds coarsely ground
• 1 onion diced
• 6 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 inch ginger peeled and grated
• chilies 4 green finger, or serrano, : 2 very finely chopped, 2 slit down their length
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 bell peppers 1 red and 1 green, ideally, cut into 1/2-inch slices