Posted in Recipes on 26.03.2019
Tofu Stir Fry
prep: 10 mins / cook: 20 mins / inactive: see note mins / total: 30 mins / quantity: 2 generous servings Print recipe?
Crisp tofu stir fry marinated in a peanut sauce with bright fresh vegetables and rice noodles!
Do you love tofu? I do. It’s like a little sponge, soaking up all the flavours of whatever you pair it with. For this tofu stir fry recipe I wanted the marinade to become a part of the stir fry sauce, imparting all the flavour throughout the whole dish. And I wanted my tofu to be crispy.
For the first time making any tofu recipe I tried pressing the tofu before cooking it. It’s supposed to remove all the excess water from it, giving you a firmer, crispy tofu. But then I added water back into it with the marinade 😐
Keeping the marinade quite thick means it really coats the tofu and it gave it a wonderful crispy jacket. In all honesty, it was that flipping tasty it was just as good the next day as cold leftovers from the fridge! Less crispy, sure, but just as enthusiastically devoured!
My other reason for pressing the tofu is I’m working on one of our back to basics post all about how to cook tofu.
I love writing these types of post as I get to properly experiment with food and I usually learn a little bit myself when researching the topic! And or course the greatest joy is when someone makes one of the recipes 😉
One thing I always do is allow plenty of time for the tofu to marinate – a day is plenty. That gives the tofu time to really absorb whatever flavour you’re trying to impart. At a pinch you can marinate for as little as 30 minutes but a bit of extra preparation is really worth it.
In any stir fry recipe I always use sesame oil but I was recently sent a bottle of Macadamia Nut Oil from Mokhado and asked to give it a try. So I wondered how it would work in this not only for the marinade but in the actual tofu stir fry as well. It was quite lovely – a subtle flavour but definitely there and a pleasant change to the sesame oil!
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Tofu Stir Fry
prep: 10 mins / cook: 20 mins / inactive: see note mins / total: 30 mins / quantity: 2 generous servings
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 2 heaped tblsp smooth peanut butter
- 2 tblsp soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 1 tblsp oil – I used macadamia nut but can sub with olive, sesame, canola or avocado oil
- 1 tblsp maple or agave syrup
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp mustard – I used dijon but wholegrain or English mustard would work too!
- 1 x 400g pack firm tofu
Stir Fry:
- drizzle of oil – I used macadamia nut but can sub with olive, sesame, canola or avocado oil
- 8 spring onions – thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed
- good couple of handfuls of mixed fresh veggies – I used a mix of tenderstem broccoli, baby corn, mange tout and asparagus
- handful of whole peanuts
- 300g rice noodles
- salt and peper
Optional:
- sesame seeds
- cherry tomatoes – halved
Instructions
- Start by marinating the tofu (see note)
- Whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, syrup, garlic powder and mustard in a large bowl. Add enough water to make a thick coating sauce. It took about 1/2 cup (125ml) water for mine
- Open the packet of tofu and thoroughly drain off the water. Pat dry with some kitchen towel then thickly slice. Cut the slices into bite sized cubes
- Add the diced tofu to the bowl of marinade and gently mix together, coating the tofu
- Tip into a sealable container and put in the fridge for as long as possible up to 24 hours
- When you're ready to cook, par boil the veggies in plenty of boiling salted water. Don't overcook, you want a little bite left to the veg. Cook the harder veg first (like broccoli and baby corn) then add the softer veg for the last couple of minutes
- Drain the veg then swill under cold water to stop any further cooking, drain again and set aside
- In a medium frying pan heat a small drizzle of oil over a low heat then gently drop in the pieces of tofu. Sizzle for a minute or two until golden and crisp on one side then turn and repeat for the other side. I use tongs to turn the tofu, saves burnt fingers!
- While the tofu is cooking, heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan or wok and over a medium/high heat quickly saute the sliced spring onions and crushed garlic, stirring frequently. Add the veggies, peanuts, noddles and a good dash of salt and pepper and stir until sizzling
- Portion the noodles and veggies mixture into 2 bowls and top with the crispy tofu.
- If using, sprinkle over some sesame seeds and nestle in some halved cherry tomatoes
- You can serve this immediately but it really is just as delicious cold the next day!
Notes
- Marinate the tofu for at least 30 minutes but longer if you can - up to 24 hours. This gives the tofu plenty of time to really absorb all the lovely flavours!
Some products I used in today's post...
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Hello there! I’m Sam, former Michelin star pastry chef and now your go-to vegan foodie on a mission to make plant-based eating a deliciously easy adventure! From cozy comfort foods to vibrant salads and decadent desserts, there’s something for everyone in my kitchen.
Whether you’re cooking for one or for a houseful I believe food doesn’t have to be complicated to be full of FLAVOUR and I want to show you how. I’ve been a rigorous meal planner for over a decade whilst embracing seasonal ingredients (because that’s where the real flavour is!)
I’m also a dedicated dog mum to Nooch and Baxter and enjoy cooking them homemade treats (many of which are posted here) when I’m not screaming at the tennis or devouring fantasy fiction.
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