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.
You can't say no to tofu until you've tried this flavor-packed, perfect textured tofu recipe!
- 14 oz. Block Firm Tofu
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 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
- 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.
- Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
(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.
For gluten-free, be sure to use tamari
~ Anjali
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