Sesame Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry

August 31, 2015

Flavorful tofu and veggie stir fry! The tofu if loaded with the sesame-ginger flavor and is crispy without frying! This stir fry is healthy and can be eaten with rice, quinoa, or on its own.

And just like that, it’s Meatless Monday.

I’ll be the first one to admit that in my younger days, when I use to see the tofu section on a restaurant menu, i’d quickly shuffle my eyes away, I couldn’t even let my brain consider it for a second. Nope. Not that. Anything but mush on a plate.

But with time came curiosity. And curiosity brought out the adventurous foodie inside (yes, I consider tofu to be adventurous. Gasp! What a daredevil!) My first tofu adventure involved a tofu and veggie stir fry — I nearly fell off my chair — in a good way! Flavorful little crispy bites of protein tossed in a sweet soy glaze with lots of crunchy veggies to accompany. No funky tofu flavors or scents. It was everything I wasn’t expecting.

I’ll never forget it.

I found myself not being able to get this veggie stir fry out of my mind over the next few days. I did a little research online to see how they could’ve gotten that tofu so crispy and perfect. I’m a texture girl, and this tofu was extra firm, extra crispy, and extra delicious. Check. Check. and Check.

My research turned up a few different routes. 1.) Frying = meh… not if I don’t have to. Onto option 2.) baking… okay.. don’t mind.. but it’s hot.. really hot. and then came option 3.) pan frying with just a hint of oil and a few tablespoons of that sesame ginger stir fry sauce. <– Caramelized sweet and saucy crispy tofu. I’m liking this option a lot.

And just look at that. The basic trick – dry the tofu. I get extra firm tofu and to give it a more dense ‘meat-like’ texture, I grab a couple of tea towels, 2 plates, and a couple of 28 oz cans (or anything that weighs a ton, like a cast iron skillet). Place a tea towel on the plate, then the tofu, followed by the second tea towel, another plate, and then place the 2-28 ounce cans on the plate. The weights help release all the water from the tofu, giving it a more firm texture that not only mimics meat but also soaks up any kind of sauce that you dunk it in.

I couldn’t stop myself from popping a few of these crispy tofu pieces while I was sautéing the veggies.

I love getting those crunchy brown bits on my tofu for my veggie stir frys, so I cooked it for an additional minute.

The rest of the recipe is simple. Just your regular stir fry ingredients: ginger, garlic, sesame oil, a little soy sauce, and brown sugar.

When I was recipe testing this veggie stir fry, I almost pleaded Anees to give this a try. Usually, the word ‘tofu’ has him scrambling in the other direction. Reluctantly he agreed. And to my surprise, it was better than he thought it was going to be. And that’s as good as him saying he’ll switch out his morning coffee for a kale smoothie. The second time around he ate a piece of the crispy stir fried tofu and actually liked it. <– Never in a million years did I expect that would happen! But hey, maybe the third time around he’ll love it? High hopes.

I’ll take the ‘I like it’ and consider it a victory!

Yield: 3-4 servings