February 15, 2011: Basic braised tofu

K's been talkin' 'bout Matthew's Delicious Tofu as a weeknight winner for a while now, so we figured we'd better give it a go.  We altered the ingredients a little to suit what we had but stayed true to the proportions in the original recipe.  

It was a roaring success, both for dinner that night and packed into our lunchboxes the following day.  I wish I'd discovered braising as a tofu cooking technique earlier in my time as a vegetarian; it's a lovely way to achieve a chewy-tender texture and get flavours adhering to that bland bean curd's surface.  (This is probably contingent on matching cooking times and temperatures with your tofu's consistency, as I've previously encountered a batch or two of tough tofu as well.)

We ate our tofu on a bed of Ottolenghi's green couscous, counting every last piece to ensure they were shared evenly.  I think this recipe's going on regular rotation here, too.

Basic braised tofu
(adapted from Matthew's Delicious Tofu in The Garden of Vegan, as posted on In The Mood For Noodles)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
500g medium-firm tofu
4 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
1 teaspoon lime juice

Heat the oil in a large frypan and add the tofu in a single layer.  Fry it on each side until golden.  Reduce the heat and add the green onions, ginger and Sriracha sauce; cook for a few more minutes, tossing the mixture around to evenly distribute the flavours.  Pour over the maple syrup, tamari and lime juice; continue to cook the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated and the tofu is coated in a thick sauce.  Serve it up and guard your share carefully!