Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Mom's Sesame Tofu

Ryan and I seem to have amnesia when it comes to remembering meals that we've made, thus my secret plan for this blog is for it to serve as a running list of our favorite recipes. That list would be incomplete without sesame tofu, our favorite meal ever! The recipe was adapted from my mom's sesame chicken, which is just as delicious but twice as much work. This is also a great recipe for introducing tofu to your carnivorous friends.

Ingredients
Cornstarch-coated tofu
1 package firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4-6 TBLS cornstarch
Olive Oil
Sauce
2 TBLS soy sauce
4 TBLS sugar
2 TBLS rice wine vinegar
4 TBLS water
Dash of red pepper flakes

Directions
  1. In a large bowl, coat the tofu cubes with cornstarch. Be delicate but don't worry if it gets a little crumbly.
  2. Add the tofu to a hot pan with a bit of oil over medium heat. Cook until browned on all sides.
  3. Mix sauce ingredients and add to pan. Stir and cook a few minutes until sauce thickens.
  4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and call your mother (at least that's what my recipe says)
I forgot to add sesame seeds...do as I say, not as I do
Tips  
-For a complete meal, serve with brown rice and broccoli (we like to stir-fry broccoli with a bit of the sesame sauce so it gets infused with deliciousness)
-4 TBLS = 1/4 cup. This comes in handy if you're doubling the recipe

3 comments:

  1. Thanks! I bookmarked the recipe (haven't had a chance to try it yet), but I did try the cornstarch-tofu thing, and was thrilled! In the past, my tofu always stuck to the pan, this has solved that! I'm thrilled.

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  2. I came to your blog as a Ten looking for Tons of effing risotto, and I'm a fan! Tell me, when you say tofu "pressed and sliced" what do you mean by pressed? Just held down while you slice, or do you weigh it down to press out moisture??

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  3. Thanks! I'm not much of a "blogger" but I do my best... To press tofu, sandwich the block of tofu between layered paper towels or some sort of clean cloth, anything to absorb the liquid. Then place something flat and heavy on the top to press the liquid out. I usually use a cutting board and some canned goods. Let it press for about 30 minutes or so and then you're ready to start slicing. If you don't have 30 minutes to wait for perfectly pressed tofu, you can just do your best to squeeze out the water with your hands. You can also make this recipe with chicken if you prefer, just marinate the chicken in a mixture of egg yolk and salt before tossing it with the cornstarch. Enjoy!

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