Just Lauren

This tofu dish is one of my favorite meals to make. It’s easy and super tasty. Reduce or increase the amount of sriracha you put in the sauce to make it work for your desired spiciness. I can’t handle spice really well so it’s only 1 tablespoon for me, and even then that can be a little much sometimes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed for 15-30 mins (Sprouts’ brand is my favorite)
• ⅓ cup cornstarch, possibly more
• 2 TB vegetable oil for frying (more as needed)
• Cooked rice for serving
• Cooked veggies for serving (ex. Brussel sprouts or broccoli)
• For the sriracha sauce:
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 1 TB sriracha
  • 2 TB agave (or honey)
  • 3 cloves finely minced garlic (or 1 1/2 tsp of pre chopped garlic)
  • 2 TB cornstarch + 2 TB water (lukewarm or cold)

DIRECTIONS

1. After pressing the tofu, cut into cubes. Toss them in a medium bowl filled with cornstarch.
2. Heat oil in a pan on medium to medium-high heat. Fry the tofu cubes until all sides are crispy (it won’t be as golden brown as you think). About 3-4 minutes each side. Drain tofu on paper towel to get rid of excess oil.
3. While frying the tofu, make the sriracha sauce. In a small saucepan, add the water, soy sauce, sugar, sriracha, agave, and garlic, then bring to a boil. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and 2 TB water together. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce once the sauce is boiling and whisk constantly. It should thicken around 10 seconds or less. Remove from heat when it’s to your desired thickness.
4. I like to keep the sauce and tofu separate (versus tossing the tofu in the entirety of the sauce). That way, each person can choose how much sauce to put on top of their tofu.
5. Serve tofu with sauce on top and rice and vegetables on the side.

Serves: 3-4 people

Leftovers: It’s better fresh but if you refresh leftover tofu in an oven or air fryer, it’s still pretty dang good.

How to press tofu:

1. Get a wide, low rimmed bowl (a plate will do if you don’t have a bowl).
2. Put a cereal bowl within the wide bowl, upside down.
3. Put tofu on top of cereal bowl.
4. Place a large plate on top of tofu.
5. Place a heavy book on top of the plate. Voila.

No need to buy a tofu press, this works great and you probably have everything you need already. Let it press for 15-30 minutes.