Crispy tofu covered in a sweet teriyaki sauce, served with sesame coconut rice – sounds good to us! Plus it’s dairy-free, egg-free, and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
By Dhanistha of The Vegetarian Blog.
This recipe is gluten-free, meat-free, egg-free, suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets.
Serves 2 -4
Teriyaki Sauce (for the tofu)
- 1/4 cup sesame oil (be sure to check your sesame oil, it can be really strong in flavor)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (check it is gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp ginger juice
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds (healthy and nice for texture)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbps fresh squeezed lemon juice
Grilled tofu
- 1 block of tofu
- A grill
- a handful of baby asparagus, bottoms discarded
Sriracha Cream Sauce (to serve)
- 1-2 tsp sriracha sauce
- 1/4 cup veganaise
- 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp water
- optional ingredient: Hoisin Sauce (a popular vietnamese black sweet sauce)
Sesame coconut rice
- 1 cup cooked and cooled rice
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 2-3 tbsp cup of soy sauce or braggs (check it is gluten-free)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp coconut powder
- 2 tbsp basil, chopped
Method:
For the sauces and tofu:
- Put all the teriyaki ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend till nice and smooth. If it is a bit chalky add about a tablespoon of water until it all blends into a liquid form.
- Drain and cut 1/2 inch slabs of tofu and place them in a bag with your blended teriyaki sauce. Ideally it’s great if you can marinate them over 6 hours or overnight but you can do it in 30 minutes. I usually place my tofu marinades in a vacuum sealing bag and it speeds the marinade quick within 5 minutes. But if you don’t have one at home you can simulate that with a ziploc bag and just suck out the air from the corner of bag before you seal it. Place it in the fridge for as long as you can.
- Put all the ingredients for the sriracha in a cup or bowl and mix well with a fork until it is a nice creamy consistency.
- Take out your tofu slabs and place on your heated grill for about 4 minutes or until your tofu has those beautiful grill marks. Add asparagus and grill till tender.
- Place your sriracha cream sauce and add a layer of a tofu slab, then add the cream sauce again, and another layer of tofu. Top it with your grilled asparagus and drizzle with hoisin sauce.
For the rice:
- Preheat a large frying pan or wok to medium high heat. Pour sesame oil in the bottom. Add cumin seeds, ginger powder, turmeric, paprika and coriander powder. Stir for 15 seconds or until you can see it turn a bit darker {But Not Burned!} and it smells amazing.
- Stir in the rice quick and mix with powder spices until heated through and the rice has turned into a beautiful yellow reddish color. Thats when you add the soy sauce. I have never actually measured it in a table spoon but just drizzle over the whole pan in 3 long consecutive lines. You should hear the pan start to sizzle from the moisture. Immediately add sugar and coconut powder and stir and mix.
- Cook for a couple more minutes, taste to see if it’s salty enough, and if it dries up a bit, add about one tablespoon of water. Serve with chopped basil and let your taste buds enjoy the flavors!
Optional: You can also roast slivered almonds or cashews to elevate the flavor and add them to your stir fry.
California based web designer and blogger Dhanistha runs The Vegetarian Blog, where she shares vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free recipes from different cultures. She is a huge fan of cooking with fresh ingredients and wholly encourages growing your own vegetables. Keep up with Dhanistha on Facebook and Instagram.
Check out more of our delicious gluten-free recipes and our vegan recipes! For even more, grab a copy of the magazine.