Description
This crispy tofu bowl is a delicious vegan dinner idea. Extra-firm tofu is glazed in a Thai sweet chili sauce and served over jasmine rice with shelled edamame, fresh chopped mango, sliced mini cucumber, creamy avocado, and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 14-oz package extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (I use Thai Kitchen Brand)
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha (or Sambal oelek)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 1 small ripe ataulfo or red mango, diced
- 1 mini cucumber, sliced
- 1 small avocado, sliced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, for garnish
- Hanful of shredded nappa cabbage or iceberg lettuce (optional)
- Pickled ginger (optional)
- Thinly sliced radish (optional)
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked jasmine rice, for serving
Instructions
- Press the tofu. Before you get started, it’s important to press the tofu. This helps remove the excess water, which allows the tofu to become firmer, crispier, and better absorb the sweet chili sauce. Remove the tofu from the package and drain the water. Wrap the block of extra-firm tofu in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Place the tofu on a flat plate or cutting board. Place another flat plate or cutting board on top of the tofu. Add a heavy item on top, such as a cast iron pan or books. Let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Make the sauce for the tofu. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, ginger, and Sriracha. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, add the tofu and cornstarch. Toss to evenly coat the tofu.
- Cook the tofu. In a large frying pan, add the coconut oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Add the garlic and let cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Turn the heat down to medium-low and pour the marinade into the pan and evenly coat all the tofu pieces. Let cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce bubbles and thickens slightly.
- Assemble the bowls. To serve, add ½ cup to ¾ cups of warm jasmine rice to the bottom each bowl. Then divide the sweet chili tofu, shelled edamame, fresh mango, cucumber slices, sliced avocado, and shredded nappa cabbage or iceberg lettuce (if using) between the bowls. Garnish each bowl with the sliced green onions, sesame seeds, pickled ginger (if using), and sliced radish (if using). Enjoy!
Notes
- Extra-Firm tofu: I recommend using extra-firm tofu for this recipe. It holds its shape and has lower water content than firm or medium tofu. This helps it get nice and crispy, and has a chewy, meaty texture.
- I cut the tofu into 56 equal pieces. To do this, place to tofu on a cutting board and carefully cut the tofu in half lengthwise. You should end up with two equally sized rectangles. Then cut each rectangular block into 28 equal pieces (4 x 7).
- Tofu sticking to the pan? Using a non-stick pan is the easiest way to prevent the tofu from sticking. If you’re using a stainless steel or cast-iron pan, make sure to properly preheat the pan until a water drop dances and use sufficient oil. Avoid moving the tofu until it forms a crust on the bottom and releases naturally.
- Spice level: If you’re senstive to spice, reduce the Sriracha (or Sambal oelek) to ½ teaspoon or leave it out completely.
- Jasmine rice: Use ½ cup to ¾ cups of cooked rice per bowl. If you want to boost the protein content of this bowl, you can substitute with cooked quinoa.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate based on 2 servings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 686
- Sugar: 19.3g
- Sodium: 1013mg
- Fat: 37.4g
- Saturated Fat: 5.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 68.2g
- Fiber: 16.3g
- Protein: 27.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg