Coconut Cravings

Tofu Stir Fry

Ingredients

Measurement

Scale

16 ounces extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup gluten-free tamari
1/4 cup mirin
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sriracha, adjust more or less for your spice level
1 Tablespoon sesame oil, divided
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup zucchini, chopped
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
3 green onion stalks, sliced

Instructions

  • Press the tofu. Press the tofu, either in a tofu press of by placing the tofu on a plate, adding a cutting board on the tofu and adding weight to the cutting board, like a box of broth or something similar. Press the tofu for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours. If you leave your tofu in the press for longer than an hour, make sure to put it in the fridge.

  • Prepare the marinade. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the gluten-free tamari, mirin, sugar, garlic powder, and sriracha.

  • Slice the tofu. After your tofu is pressed, slice it in thin lines about 1/2 inch thick. Turn the tofu and slice again, until the tofu is in small bite-sized cubes.

  • Marinate the tofu. Place the tofu in a bowl and pour half of the marinade over the tofu pieces. Gently turn the tofu until all of the pieces are coated in the marinade. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 6 hours. I like to make the marinade around lunchtime and leave the tofu to marinate till dinnertime.

  • Save half of the marinade. Half of the marinade is for the tofu and half is for the stir fry vegetables. Save the remaining half of the marinade for the stir fry vegetables.

  • Chop vegetables. Chop the onion, carrot, and zucchini.

  • Warm two saute pans. Warm two saute pans to medium heat. One pan for the tofu, and one pan for the vegetables. The tofu fries best if it is in a separate pan from the vegetables.

  • Saute vegetables. Add 1 T. sesame oil to a warm saute pan. Add chopped onion and carrots. Saute at medium heat for approximately 5 minutes or till the onion turns translucent. Liberally season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and allow the carrots to steam till about half-way cooked. Then add the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper again. Stir and allow to cook till soft.

  • Saute tofu. Add 1 T. sesame oil to a warm saute pan. Add the marinated tofu. Keep the heat on medium, unless the oil is splattering too much. Try to get the all of the pieces of tofu in contact with the pan and resist the urge to move them for 3-5 minutes, till they form a crust. Gently lift the tofu with a spatula to stir it. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and sesame seeds, if desired. Allow the tofu to fry for 10-15 minutes, or till the marinade liquid evaporates and the tofu forms a crust.

  • Add marinade to vegetables. While vegetables and tofu are cooking, take the leftover sauce from the tofu marinade you saved for later out of the fridge. Add 2 t. cornstarch and 1/4 c. water and whisk till you can’t see any cornstarch lumps. When vegetables are cooked, push them to the side of the pan and pour the sauce into the pan. Turn the heat up to medium and allow the sauce several minutes to heat and thicken. As soon as it begins to thicken, stir to coat all of the vegetables in the sauce and remove it from the heat.

  • Serve over rice and enjoy. Serve the vegetables and tofu over cooked rice and top with fresh green onions. This recipe is great as leftovers and is good for up to 3 days in the fridge.