Sesame Ginger Tofu

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• If you are looking for a meatless meal idea or a quick healthy snack, make this!
• Serve it as a simple side dish to steamed rice and vegetable stir fry.
• Or enjoy it as a healthy snack any time of the day.
• This pan-fried tofu recipe is suitable for anyone who loves good-tasting food.
• It is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free and can be made sugar-free (see our Substitution Notes below).
• It is a great summer recipe because it is quick to cook and can be enjoyed hot or at room temperature.
• Pan-fried tofu is faster to make than baked tofu, and you can have this ready in about 15 minutes.

Ingredients

Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

Soft tofu - is creamy and smooth in texture compared to medium and firm tofu and easier to handle than silken tofu. However, if all you have is medium or firm tofu, use these, but these will not have the same creamy texture as soft.

Potato starch - is used to coat the tofu pieces to give them a dry surface for frying making them nice and crispy on the outside. If you do not have potato starch, use corn flour.

Vegetable oil - for frying, but you can use other neutral-flavored oils.

We like to use as little as possible to make the dish healthier and use the bare minimum when pan-frying, but you might prefer to shallow fry the tofu pieces.

Soya sauce - use light or dark soya sauce for this recipe but choose one that is diet-friendly if you have any restrictions. 

Light soya sauce has more salt than dark soya sauce, and not every brand of soya sauce is gluten-free, so check the bottle before buying.

Rice vinegar - for flavoring the sauce. If you can not get rice vinegar, you could use white wine vinegar or white vinegar.

White sugar - to soften the vinegar tang, add more or less sugar to suit your taste.

Ginger - for the best ginger taste, use freshly grated ginger, not bottled ginger or ginger powder.

Sesame oil - adds a light nutty flavor.

Spring onions for garnishing and flavor, but you could also use chives.

Equipment

We recommend using a nonstick frying pan because you can use less oil to make a healthier dish.

Instructions

Sauce

Step 1 - To make the sauce, place the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and mix well. Put aside.

Tofu

Step 2 - Wrap the tofu in kitchen paper, place it on a microwave-safe container, and microwave for about 1 ½ minutes in the 600w range.

Microwaving soft tofu is an easy way to draw out moisture, and there is no need for pressing, which can squash and flatten soft tofu.

Step 3- Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces arranging them in a single layer on a board lined with absorbent paper.

Step 4 - Use a dry absorbent towel and gently press down on the tofu to dry it as much as possible.

Recipe Tips

Use a non-stick pan, heat the oil on medium-low heat, and be sure it is hot before adding the tofu.

Leave the tofu to cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes or until it unsticks itself from the bottom of the pan, then flip and cook the other side.

Serving Size

A serving size is half of this recipe.

Calories Per Serve

Each serve has about 208 calories. It does not include the amount of oil used for frying because this will vary depending on how much you use.

Serving Suggestions

• Enjoy it as a simple and easy snack.
• Serve it as a side to steamed rice and vegetables like steamed green beans or Asian-style greens.

Substitutions

Vegan - use beet sugar or use maple syrup.

Make it sugar-free - replace the sugar with your favorite artificial sweetener.

Storage

This dish is best eaten soon after making it hot or at room temperature.

More Tofu Recipes

• Dairy free coleslaw
• Silken tofu sour cream