As I’ve noted in previous columns about tofu, if you taste, or even just look at an unadorned piece of it there’s not much to get excited about. It’s very plain. But that quickly changes when you accent it with a flavourful sauce, what I did my teriyaki tofu recipe.
To make it, cubes of medium-firm tofu were lightly coated in cornstarch, cooked in hot oil in a skillet until light golden, and then removed. A teriyaki sauce mixture, with sweet, sour and gingery flavours, was then added to the pan and brought to a simmer. The tofu was returned to the pan, with some shelled edamame (green soybeans), and then cooked in the sauce a short while.
After transferring the tofu to a serving dish, it was then sprinkled with sliced green and roasted sesame seeds, further enhancing its flavour. You could serve the tofu with steamed rice and steamed baby boy choy or gai lan, or do what I did and serve it with curried vegetable jasmine fried rice.
If you make it, you’ll need to plan ahead and cook the rice, cool it, refrigerate it and let it sit there and dry many hours, preferably overnight, before you make the fried rice. Rice in this form will easily separate when fried and combine nicely with other ingredients. If one used hot, just cooked rice to make it, it would over cook when fried, clump together and not be very appealing.
To ensure things going smoothly, when you make the fried rice and tofu, have all your ingredients cut, measured and at the ready before firing up the stove.
Teriyaki Tofu with Edamame
Cubes of tofu, lightly coated in cornstarch, seared and then added to a sweet-and-sour teriyaki sauce with edamame (green soybeans) mixed in.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: about 12 minutes
Makes: three servings
1 (1 lb./454 g) container medium firm tofu, drained well
3 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
3 Tbsp teriyaki sauce (I used Kikkoman brand)
3 Tbsp vegetable stock or sake
3 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup frozen, shelled edamame, thawed (Note 1)
• thinly sliced green onions and roasted sesame seeds, to taste (see Note 2)
Combine teriyaki sauce, stock (or sake), sugar, vinegar and ginger in a bowl. Line a baking sheet with paper towel. Cut the tofu into one-inch cubes, set on the paper towel and turn each piece a few times to remove excess moisture on them.
Spread cornstarch out on a wide plate. Now lightly coat each piece of tofu in cornstarch. Pour oil into a 10-inch or so wide, non-stick skillet and set over medium-high heat.
When oil is hot, set in half the tofu, ensuring the pieces are not touching. Sear tofu for two minutes, until light golden, and then turn each piece over and sear two minutes on that side. Remove skillet from the heat. Lift tofu out of the skillet with tongs and set on a clean plate. Set the skillet back over the heat. Sear the remaining tofu as you did the first batch and set them on the plate too.
Drain excess oil from the skillet, and then set back over the heat. Add the teriyaki sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Now add the seared tofu and edamame to the pan. Heat the tofu in the sauce one to two minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with green onions and roasted sesame seeds, and serve.
Note 1: Bags of shelled, frozen edamame (green soybeans) are sold at many supermarkets.
Note 2: Jars of roasted sesame seeds are sold in the Asian-foods aisle of many supermarkets. If you want to prepare your own sesame seeds, place regular sesame seeds in a non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Cook the seeds, swirling the pan from time to time, until lightly toasted, about three to four minutes.
Curried Vegetable Jasmine Fried Rice
Aromatic, curry powder-spiced, fried rice rich with a mix of vegetables and mushrooms. Any leftover fried rice will freeze well, to thaw, heat up and enjoy at another time.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: six to seven minutes
Makes: five to six servings
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup grated carrot
6 white or brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 to 3 tsp mild or medium curry powder
2 baby bok choy, pulled apart, trimmed, washed and sliced, widthwise, into 1-inch pieces
1 (227 mL) can sliced water chestnuts, drained well
4 cups cold cooked jasmine rice (see Note)
1 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 green onions, halved lengthwise, and then thinly sliced, widthwise
1/2 cup frozen peas
Pour oil into a wok or large skillet set over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the onion, bell pepper, carrot and mushrooms and stir-fry two to three minutes. Add the curry powder, bok choy and water chestnuts and stir-fry one minute. Mix in the rice and stir-fry two minutes. Mix in the stock, green onions and peas, cook one minute more, and serve.
Note: To get the 4 cups of cooked rice needed here, combine 1 1/2 cups of long grain jasmine white rice and 2 1/4 cups of cold water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to its low setting. Cover rice and steam 15 minutes, or until just tender. Spoon the rice into a wide and shallow dish and cool to room temperature. Now wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours, or preferably overnight, before frying it.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
