Sweet and Sour Tofu
It’s time to talk about tofu.
It seems tofu is the most divisive food. Over time, I have developed a liking for Tofu. While my one of my classmates suggests that Tofu tastes like nothing- like water, I beg to differ. Tofu eaten plain with absolutely no substance added makes tofu, in my opinion, bland and tedious to eat, but, when tossed with flavor, tofu contradicts every hater’s idea.
The versatile marinade in this sweet and sour tofu recipe makes such a huge difference: the coconut adds a tang, the peanut butter adds a crunch, and the soy sauce makes it salty and oriental. Putting this dish into the oven makes it all the tastier because the marinade develops a slight crunch, but what I like most about this recipe is that I can play with it, and add ingredients I have on hand, that go with the flavor. I like to eat this tofu with either plain rice, or sometimes I find myself eating it straight from the refrigerator. Either way, it’s healthy and it tastes good – a combination you may not find in every dish. Cook this sweet and sour tofu recipe for vegetarians or meat-eaters, and impress them all!
Sweet and Sour Tofu
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, use more if you like
- 2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter, this is the minimum amount, sometimes I add up to ½ cup!
- ½ tbsp chilli flakes, optional
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp coconut milk
- 1 medium onion- finely chopped
- 2 small cloves, or 1 large clove of garlic (crushed)
- approximately 1/2 pound or 500 grams of firm tofu diced into 1 inch pieces.
Equipment
- 8 wooden skewers
- 1 baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 C or 400 F. Place about 8 wooden skewers in water to soak. We do this so that while in the oven, the skewers do not burn.
- Line a baking dish with foil, and top with a rack (see video!)
- saute the onion with the crushed garlic in 2 tbsp oil (I like to use sesame oil or peanut oil, vegetable oil works fine too) until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Combine the chilli flakes, brown sugar, lemon juice, peanut butter, coconut milk, and soy sauce until well incorporated.
- Stir in the onions and garlic, then add in the tofu chunks.
- When everything is well mixed, skewer the tofu, and place on the rack.
- Bake for 3-4 minutes on each side. (this means you’ll have to turn the tofu 4 times.)
Notes
Now what’s for dessert? Maybe these delicious fudgy brownie cookies?
