I came across this simple sweet chilli lime tofu dish online at the Vegan Yum Yum blog. Great reviews on the blog along with the fact that the sauce ingredients were already in my pantry made me want to try it out right away. I ended up increasing the amount of garlic and mint in the sauce and adding baby bok choy and mushrooms (or broccoli) which enhanced the overall flavor of the dish. I also like my tofu dishes contain more sauce, so that the tofu and vegetables really soak in all the flavors, so I decided to double the amount in this dish. I personally find that tofu cut into smaller cube shapes work better in terms of retaining the flavor of the sauce. The result was delicious…just the perfect amount of sweetness, chilli, and lime! I also Serve it over a bed of cooked quiona or brown rice and you have yourself a great healthy meal!
This is also a great dish for toddlers. You can cut the tofu into smaller pieces and omit the chili flakes if your toddler cannot handle the spice.
Sweet Chili Lime Tofu
INGREDIENTS
- 14 oz. Block Firm Tofu
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
Sauce Ingredients
- 6 tbsp coconut sugar , or white or maple syrup
- 6 tbsp tamari , or low sodium soy sauce
- 3.5 tbsp fresh lime juice
- zest of one lime
- 1 teasp red chili flakes , omit for toddlers
- 3 garlic clove , minced (optional)
- 1/2 teasp salt
- 14 mint leaves , finely chopped
- 8 oz. bok choy
- 8 oz. broccoli or mushrooms , or your favorite combination of vegetables, sauteed and cooked through with some vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
To Prepare Tofu:
- Cut tofu block in half. Place each half in a clean paper towel one at a time and very lightly squeeze to remove excess storage liquid (without breaking up the tofu).
- Cut the tofu into 1/2 to 1 in. cubes.
- In a non-stick pan fry the tofu on medium heat with 2 tbsp cooking oil (or enough to coat the pan). Turn on each side and flip them frequently until all the water is burned off and the tofu is lightly golden brown on all sides (be sure not to burn the tofu). The tofu should NOT stick to the pan. If you see this happening, reduce the heat or add more oil.
- While the tofu is cooking, continue on to prepare the sauce. When the tofu is done, turn off the heat and set aside.
To Prepare the Sauce:
- Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
To Prepare the Dish.
- (optional) If you are planning on adding a vegetable, saute it with some oil and add it to the tofu prior to adding the sauce. If you are using mushrooms, make sure to burn off all the water released while cooking the mushrooms.
- Bring the non-stick pan back to temperature with the tofu (and sauteed vegetables if using). Make sure the pan and tofu are over high heat and that the tofu is hot all the way through.
- Add the sauce and stir to coat the tofu while the heat is on high. The sauce should start to bubble up, reduce, and form a glaze over the tofu. Be sure to leave some liquid and not burn it all off.
- Serve hot over cooked quinoa or brown rice.
NOTES
NUTRITION
~ Anjali
Tina Patel Doshi
I made this yesterday. Great flavor! However, I had a hard time with my tofu breaking a little and also getting the sauce to glaze. I think its a dish that I can make better over time. I will absolutely be making it again!
Gastronomers - Amman & Anjali
I’m glad you liked the flavor! Did the tofu break because it was sticking to the pan? If so, perhaps try pan frying at lower heat or add some more oil. The glaze happens when the pan is on high heat and starts soaking up in the tofu.
so international
I made it without the sugar and it’s pretty good. I also used extra firm tofu with high protein from trader joes to get enough protein in my meal, and didn’t have the issue of the tofu breaking.
Devi
Made this again this morning! Love this recipe, and so does my family. Today I was feeling a little lazy, so I just made the sauce, mixed it into the tofu and baked it in the oven. Yum!
anjali
What a great idea Devi! Did it turn out just as good baked in the oven?
Devi
It’s a little drier in the oven, but it is a lot less work :). Still tastes good, but different texture.
Kajal
I made this dish few days ago. Just perfect. Thank you for sharing the recipe
anjali
This is one of my favorites as well – quick, easy, and tasty all at the same time! Try the Garlic Pepper Tofu next if you haven’t already done so!
Gayathri Bhandarkar
Love love love this recipe – I actually have made the original from Vegan yumyum! This is the best sauce ever!
anjali
Isn’t it great! One of my favorite thai dishes, not to mention it’s super easy to make! I love adding bok choy and mushrooms to the dish as well with a side of quinoa! Thanks for the comment and thanks for visiting the site. Hopefully you get a chance to try out some of the other Thai dishes on my site.
Kavita Rao
Made this for dinner tonight! I can see it becoming one of my regular dishes! Love it!! Gonna eat it with the quinoa/brown rice blend from trader joes.
Kavita Rao
Oh and I made it with onions, and red/orange bellpeppers
anjali
Awesome – This is one of our regular dishes as well! I’ve added bok choy and mushrooms, but I’ll have to try it with peppers and onions next time. I typically eat it with either quinoa or brown rice, but a mix of the two sounds like a great option! Thanks for the comment!
yAEL
Im from israel and we have hard time here getting lime. Can i use lemon instead?
anjali
Yes absolutely! Let me know how it tastes!
yael ringold
Can i make this with lemon instead of lime?
anjali
Yes absolutely!
gl
This sauce! love the lemon and mint!
Kirsten Roche
This recipe is incredible! I am very impressed. I made it today and had it in soft tacos with lettuce, cilantro, sour cream, cheddar and hot sauce. The tofu was very flavorful and the texture was lovely. Excited to try eating this tofu in different meals; will be making this again soon!
anjali
What a great idea to put it in tacos! I’ll have to try that! I love tofu, so be sure to check out my other tofu recipes!