Sticky Sesame Tofu
This quick and easy tofu recipe will convert any tofu hater to a tofu lover. And you only need one bowl, a frying pan and a few pantry ingredients. I love to make this as meal prep in the beginning of the week because it is good cold or hot and can add a little extra protein into a salad or grain bowl. Great for snacking too. I recommend extra firm tofu. The high protein extra firm tofu from trader joes is a favorite. I like to press my tofu but as long as you are using extra firm, you will be ok.
Ingredients:
1 block extra firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp cup agave syrup or maple syrup
2 tbsp sesame seeds (I like mix of black and white)
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1-2 tbsp neutral oil for cooking
Recipe:
I like to press my tofu for 10-15 minutes ahead of time but this is optional. After pressing, cut the tofu into cubes. Coat the tofu cubes in corn starch in a medium bowl. Warm a frying pan on medium heat and add 1-2 tbsp neutral oil to coat. Then add the tofu and allow to fry undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. Like meat, the tofu will release from the pan when it is crisp. If you try to move it around too much or flip too early, it will stick and make a mess.
Gently toss the tofu every few minutes to brown on all sides. While waiting for the tofu, combine the soy sauce, agave, sesame oil and sesame seeds together in the bowl you used to coat the tofu with corn starch. This way the remaining corn starch gets incorporated into the sauce.
Once the tofu is browned, pour over the sauce, toss to coat and cook for about 1 minute until it becomes thick and sticky. Don’t over cook or burn the tofu. It will come together fast so don’t walk away. Once you see the thick sauce, turn off the heat and serve.
This keeps really well in the fridge as meal prep for later. It is good hot or cold. It goes great with fluffy rice and broccoli or peas. Great on salads, in a wrap or just as a tasty high protein snack.
