Caramel Cooked Tofu Recipe
Tofu Lacquered in a Sweet, Salty, Fragrant Sauce
This delicious vegan tofu sample recipe from food blogger Michael Natkin's new cookbook, Herbivoracious, is made using a Vietnamese cooking technique.
The result is some of the tastiest tofu I've ever eaten.
If you've been wanting to learn how to cook tofu Vietnamese-style, Michael Natkin's caramel cooked tofu recipe is the place to start.
Total prep & cook time: 20 min
2 - 4 Servings
Nutrition Data, 148g Serving: 262 cal, 38g carb, 8g fat, 676mg sodium, 2g fiber, 14g protein, 29g Sugars, low Cholesterol, good source Protein, Calcium and Manganese. Estimated glycemic load 24
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup rice wine or dry sherry
- 2 tsp. rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (use a wheat-free version for gluten-free)
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 pound extra-firm tofu, patted thoroughly dry and cut into 2 x 2 x 1/3-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup thinly slice white onion
- Optional: 4 to 8 dried small red chiles
- 5 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
Directions:
- Whisk together the rice wine, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and sugar until the sugar dissolves
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat
- Lay the tofu squares in the skillet in a single layer (or as close to a single layer as possible)
- Fry until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes
- Flip the tofu and immediately pour in the sauce; add the onion and chiles, if using
- The sauce will sputter and begin to caramelize. Keep a close eye on it, and move the tofu around a little bit to let the sauce get under it
- Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened and becomes a fairly thick glaze coating the tofu, about 4 minutes more
- Serve immediately, topped with the scallions
Recipe Tips:
When Michael Natkin says high heat, he means it! The sauce won't caramelize unless the temperature is high enough.
Recipe Comments:
I doubled the recipe so my husband and I can have leftovers tomorrow night. I did add a few chili peppers but probably not enough. I cut my tofu into thin triangles. And i browned the tofu for a minute or two after flipping before i added the sauce. Otherwise I followed the recipe as written. Before I washed the pan I used my finger to scrape the pan so I could just eat some of the sauce....it was that good! - Nancy M.
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