A solid staple recipe, adapted from The Minimalist Baker
I’ve already got a Chinese-inspired tofu stir-fry recipe, but I had this one by The Minimalist Baker pinned for a godawful long time so when I finally tried it, it was worth keeping! I made some adjustments for my personal tastes and cooking preferences, which is a good thing for any recipe you try (TMB also adapted it from a few other places). I find it funny that TMB’s recipes are always 10 ingredients or less, but you have to remember that sometimes those ingredients are used multiple times in the recipe AND that sometimes it requires A LOT of work.
Again, why I like to make adjustments!
Ingredients:
350g extra firm tofu (1 block)
Sauce ingredients:
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp corn starch
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 c maple syrup
3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp water
Tofu ingredients:
2-3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp chili garlic sauce (I use Huy Fong Foods brand)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
4-5 tbsp corn starch
For frying:
2 tbsp oil (avocado or grapeseed preferred)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 bundle of chopped green onions
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
Optional:
Sesame seeds
Rice (I prefer short-grain brown)
Vegetables of choice (I prefer steamed broccoli)
Prepare your rice and vegetables in advance, if serving. Wrap the tofu in a towel and set something heavy on it for 10 minutes. Prep the green onions, garlic, and ginger. Prepare the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Unwrap the tofu and cut into even pieces (3/4″ cubes). Add to a mixing bowl and top with tamari/soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and maple syrup. Toss to combine and let rest for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the excess marinade from the bowl. Add the corn starch 1 tbsp at a time and toss to coat until tofu is coated in a white-ish, gummy layer.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tbsp oil. Add the tofu to the pan and cook on all sides for about a minute, until light golden brown. Increase the skillet heat to medium-high. Add the sesame oil, green onions, and chili garlic sauce and saute for 1-2 minutes. If you want to coat your vegetables, add them in at this time. Pour the sauce over and stir for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, and toss with sesame seeds before or while serving. Serves 4.
Tips:
- The recipe calls for cornstarch, but I’ve tried this with potato and wheat starch too and they also work but may leave a “skin” over the tofu if you leave them cooking for too long, so pay attention!!
- The original recipe says to toss the tofu in the starch in a freezer bag or tupperware, but I find the bowl good enough!
- You can use 8-14 Thai red chilis for frying, instead of chili garlic sauce.
- Serve with whatever sides and rice you want!
- Best when fresh, though leftovers keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
Other recipes you may want to try:
