Are you looking for a healthy and tasty weeknight meal that comes together in under 30 minutes? Try this Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry recipe.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
This Teriyaki Tofu swaps out the traditional meat for tofu, making it a perfect choice for vegetarians, vegans, or anyone looking to incorporate more plant-based protein into their diet.
The magic of stir fry lies in the incredible balance of flavours: the salty umami of the teriyaki and soy sauce, the subtle kick of chilli, and, of course, the distinct, taste and aroma of fresh Kaffir lime leaves and basil. The dish is inspired by the classic Thai dish Pad Krapow.
Why You’ll Love This Tofu Recipe
- Quick and Easy: From start to finish, this dish is ready in 30 minutes.
- Customizable: Adjust the spice level to your liking. Feel free to add other vegetables like bell peppers, green beans, or mushrooms.
- Healthy and Nutritious: Tofu is an excellent source of plant-based protein.
- Vegan and Gluten Free: It is a vegan main course with no gluten or added sugar. Total win win for healthy eaters!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Firm Tofu, pressed and crumbled. I highly recommend crumbling it rather than chopping or grating it.
- Sauce is a mix of teriyaki sauce, dark soy sauce (gf), sweet chilli sauce, and water/stock.
- Kaffir Lime Leaves and Basil takes this teriyaki tofu up a notch.
- Potato Starch to thicken the sauce and give it a luscious consistency.
- Sesame Oil gives a nutty, sweet flavour to the stir fry.
- For Stir Fry you need garlic, ginger, onion, salt, pepper, and green onion.
- White Sesame Seeds or crushed peanuts for the crunch.
How To Make Teriyaki Tofu
1. Prepare the Tofu:
- First to remove excess water from tofu.
- Wrap the block of tofu in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and place something heavy on top (like a cast iron skillet or a few cookbooks) for at least 15 minutes. Once pressed, crumble the tofu to get that minced texture.
2. Fry the Tofu:
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the crumbled tofu in a single layer, season it with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu is slight brown. This usually takes about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add ginger, garlic, onion, and saute for a minute.
3. Mix the Sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, chilli sauce, chilli flakes, kaffir lime, starch, and water/stock.
4. Bring It All Together:
- Pour the prepared sauce into the pan and let it bubble and thicken slightly, about 1 minute.
- Turn off the heat and immediately add the fresh Thai basil leaves and green onion. Stir gently until the basil has just wilted.
Serve Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry with jasmine rice, quinoa, or shirataki rice. To make a complete bowl meal, serve it with add ons like a drizzle of chilli oil, cucumber salad or kimchi, shredded carrot, steamed edamame, garlicky broccoli, or stir fried vegetables.
More Ways To Eat Tofu
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Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 200 gram firm tofu
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon corn starch or potato starch
- 1 Cup water or vegetable stock
- 2 sprigs green onion, finely chopped
- handful of Thai Basil
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
Instructions
- First to remove excess water from tofu. Wrap the block of tofu in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and place something heavy on top (like a cast iron skillet or a few cookbooks) for at least 15 minutes. Once pressed, crumble the tofu to get that minced texture.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the crumbled tofu in a single layer, season it with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu is slight brown. This usually takes about 2 – 3 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, onion, and saute for a minute.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, chilli sauce, chilli flakes, kaffir lime, starch, and water/stock.
- Pour the prepared sauce into the pan and let it bubble and thicken slightly, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and immediately add the fresh Thai basil leaves and green onion. Stir gently until the basil has just wilted.
- Serve Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry with jasmine rice, quinoa, or shirataki rice.
Recipe Notes:
- Can I skip adding Kaffir Lime? It is highly recommended. If not available, add lemon grass stem or lime zest.
- Starch thickens the sauce. But it does nothing for the taste. So if you are not peculiar about the consistency of the sauce, skip adding starch.
- Tofu does not require lot of cooking. So don’t simmer the sauce or saute the tofu for way too long. It will become chewy.
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