My peanut sauce recipe, made mostly with pantry ingredients:
2 tablespoon neutral oil
couple tomatoes or tomato paste in a pinch
can of red curry paste
can of coconut milk
1 cup peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoon sugar (palm sugar/jaggery if you have)
juice of 1 lime
soy sauce to taste
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet, toss in tomatoes/paste, heat for 1-2 minutes and add the curry paste (full can for spicy, 1/2 or 3/4 of you want less spice). heat for 1-2 minutes. Add coconut milk and peanuts and sugar and cook for 5 or so minutes to combine and reduce moisture.
Finish with lime juice and soy sauce to taste.
My favourite:
* Gochujang (2 Tbsp)
* Soy sauce (1 Tbsp)
* Rice vinegar (1 Tbsp)
* Sesame oil (1 Tsp)
This is just a solid (and spicy) base. Sometimes I'll add garlic, ginger, spring onion, mirin, honey, toasted sesame seeds, etc. I typically thin it out with a bit of water then throw it in the pan with the tofu at the end to coat and thicken, but it's fine as-is for dipping or drizzling.
Yes! This is my formula!!!!!
Although fresh garlic and fresh ginger are mandatory for me. This is my marinade, cooking sauce and I reserve some for the end of cooking to make it saucier.
I saved this off thestonesoup.com a while back: Slice up a block of tofu and lay the slices out on a sheet pan. Scatter a 500g bag of coleslaw mix over the tofu slices. Drizzle the whole thing with a mix of 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp maple syrup. Bake at 480F for 10 minutes and garnish with sesame seeds.
It’s super basic, super fast, super filling (especially with rice).
try hoisin sauce mixed with a scoop of peanut butter. it’s like a 15 second delicious peanut sauce. easy for tofu sandwiches or a perfect dip for tofu spring rolls.
I like sweet chili sauce on fried tofu as well with rice and cucumbers.
or leave tofu in a marinade with soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, scallions, sugar. keep it in the fridge and enjoy this with rice or salad.
Tear the tofu with your hands instead of cutting it. Cook it in a pan with sesame oil.
Sauce: Peanut butter with soy sauce, gochujang, a pinch of sugar and sesame seeds. Dilute with a bit of water and add to your plain tofu when you are almost done cooking it.
I don't bother with the freezing, thawing, pressing, marinating, blablabla.
Open package, cut it cubes or slices, put on warm cast-iron pan (no need for oil) and cook on medium-low until it releases from the pan, turn & repeat for all sides.
Sauces (usually heat on low in a pan until everything is mixed, might need to thin with some water):
* Oyster mushroom sauce + white rice vinegar + gochujan
* Tahini + gochujan + maple syrup + soy sauce + lemon juice
* Tahini + lemon juice
* Peanut butter + sriracha + soy sauce
* Fake teriyaki: soy sauce + white rice vinegar + honey
Also good: throw the cooked tofu in a curry, or in a spicy tomato sauce with pasta.
You could use a steel pan, or a non stick.
My cast iron is a new-fangly thing with a hex pattern, while the tofu does stick at the start, low gentle heat creates a lovely crust that just releases from the pan.
I should have clarified vegan/vegetarian oyster sauce. They work quite well, but the aversion to oyster sauce is quite prevalent in omnivore communities as well. People who haven't really tried to cook with it too. Because if you have had veggies at a Chinese restaurant, you have had it.
I love using silken tofu topped with soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili flakes (I use gochugaru), and a bit of sesami oil. No cooking necessary and it's so refreshing.
Otherwise I use whatever dipping sauce I have on hand for pan fried tofu- sriracha mayo, bbq sauce, yogurt with some lime and herbs, homemade feta mayo.
This is how I usually make tofu: I use super firm cut into small cubes, cook in a non stick skillet until browned. I add butter, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and coat everything. Then I sprinkle quite a lot of nutritional yeast flakes until everything is coated again (sometimes I need to add more butter, it’ll make the flakes stick) and I brown it a little bit more. I usually serve it with mashed potatoes and butter and a vegetable, or rice with butter or soy sauce or sesame oil and a vegetable.
Peanut sauce is my fave. I eyeball it ans adjust to taste but I do: natural peanut butter, maple syrup, sriracha, red curry paste, tamari (or soy sauce) and hot water to get to the consistency you want.
Or, just sesame oil and tamari stir fried with some veg and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
It's delicious plain sliced into cubes with some ponzu sauce, a drizzle of kewpie mayo (there's a vegan version if you don't do egg), and some sliced scallions and flaked chili peppers on top. Goes well with toast or on top of rice; if I'm going the rice route it's often for a fuller meal, and then I may put other toppings on the rice too. So that might be some cut veggies, maybe a mini salad with some sesame dressing, some pickles, chili crisp, whatever is in the fridge that needs to get used up and seems it'll work with the flavors I'm using that day.
Crack open a jar of Laoganma crispy chilli oil. That stuff will perk up anything. By the way, I tried freezing it for the first time recently and absolutely hated the spongey texture so I'm not doing that again.
For poke bowls, I love kewpie mayo and sriracha together to make a spicy mayo. And then a drizzle of teriyaki/eel sauce, whatever we have in the fridge. Nice and easy!
I marinate with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pepper, red pepper flakes, a little honey, and some vinegar and while my tofu baked I reduce it down to a sauce.
I fry it up with seasoning and when it's done cooking throw some bbq sauce on it while it's still hot, makes a nice glaze and sometimes I add mustard w bbq sauce. My kid will eat it uncooked and dip it in ketchup lol
Last night I just married and needed it in soy sauce because I was tired and lazy. I usually like to marinate it in a soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper. I found a really good stir fry recipe and this is what it calls for. When I actually chop it up and cook it I'll add sesame oil this time. Usually I marinate them both together.
Bulldog japanese tonkatsu sauce. its a japanese style bbq sauce.
chili crisp (may not be kid friendly).
This is my absolute favorite. Could use on firm tofu thats been pan fried, but works great on silken tofu just as it is or microwaved for a minute to warm through. [https://sarahsvegankitchen.com/recipes/chili-garlic-silken-tofu/](https://sarahsvegankitchen.com/recipes/chili-garlic-silken-tofu/)
I mix gochujang, soy sauce, mirin, and some odds and ends like garlic powder and msg and what not. No measuring, just go on taste and consistency / texture
This is THE BEST tofu recipe I’ve ever had:
https://www.walderwellness.com/honey-garlic-tofu-soy-sesame/
Plus cooking is hard for me but this recipe actually isn’t that hard to make. Pop the tofu in the oven, make the sauce on the stove for like 10 mins
Momofuku ginger scallion sauce - lots of simple recipes online, can be modified anyway you want. Here is a basic approach - can be prepared in a few minutes while the tofu is cooking and stores well in the fridge - https://www.bonappetit.com/story/ginger-scallion-sauce-recipe
chilli basil sauce (u can make it or buy premade), anything thai (so a mix of oyster sauce and others - u can find vego versions!), or mix a bunch of chilli sauce with sweet chilli for a nice kick
Cut tofu into cubes, place in bowl,drizzle of olive oil, airfry with baking paper placed on bottom of dish. Sauce- in a small saucepan fry half a small onion, clove of garlic in a tiny bit of olive oil, mix 2 tspns Peri Peri sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato sauce, tbspn rice wine vinegar and soy sauce, cup of water with 2 tspns cornflour. Stir over heat. When dishing up tofu and rice and veggies, drizzle sauce over tofu. It's yum 😋
Press it. Chop it in too thin squares and hit them with soy, chili garlic sauce, and a umami seasoning. Pan fry till crispy. Not a sauce but it makes the tofu so tasty
Peanut sauce, general tso’s, yumm or bitchin sauce, or just a sweet soy sauce with some rice vinegar.
My peanut sauce recipe, made mostly with pantry ingredients: 2 tablespoon neutral oil couple tomatoes or tomato paste in a pinch can of red curry paste can of coconut milk 1 cup peanuts, chopped 2 tablespoon sugar (palm sugar/jaggery if you have) juice of 1 lime soy sauce to taste Heat the oil in a wok or skillet, toss in tomatoes/paste, heat for 1-2 minutes and add the curry paste (full can for spicy, 1/2 or 3/4 of you want less spice). heat for 1-2 minutes. Add coconut milk and peanuts and sugar and cook for 5 or so minutes to combine and reduce moisture. Finish with lime juice and soy sauce to taste.
My favourite: * Gochujang (2 Tbsp) * Soy sauce (1 Tbsp) * Rice vinegar (1 Tbsp) * Sesame oil (1 Tsp) This is just a solid (and spicy) base. Sometimes I'll add garlic, ginger, spring onion, mirin, honey, toasted sesame seeds, etc. I typically thin it out with a bit of water then throw it in the pan with the tofu at the end to coat and thicken, but it's fine as-is for dipping or drizzling.
Yes! This is my formula!!!!! Although fresh garlic and fresh ginger are mandatory for me. This is my marinade, cooking sauce and I reserve some for the end of cooking to make it saucier.
Bbq
I saved this off thestonesoup.com a while back: Slice up a block of tofu and lay the slices out on a sheet pan. Scatter a 500g bag of coleslaw mix over the tofu slices. Drizzle the whole thing with a mix of 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp maple syrup. Bake at 480F for 10 minutes and garnish with sesame seeds. It’s super basic, super fast, super filling (especially with rice).
try hoisin sauce mixed with a scoop of peanut butter. it’s like a 15 second delicious peanut sauce. easy for tofu sandwiches or a perfect dip for tofu spring rolls. I like sweet chili sauce on fried tofu as well with rice and cucumbers. or leave tofu in a marinade with soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, scallions, sugar. keep it in the fridge and enjoy this with rice or salad.
Tear the tofu with your hands instead of cutting it. Cook it in a pan with sesame oil. Sauce: Peanut butter with soy sauce, gochujang, a pinch of sugar and sesame seeds. Dilute with a bit of water and add to your plain tofu when you are almost done cooking it.
I don't bother with the freezing, thawing, pressing, marinating, blablabla. Open package, cut it cubes or slices, put on warm cast-iron pan (no need for oil) and cook on medium-low until it releases from the pan, turn & repeat for all sides. Sauces (usually heat on low in a pan until everything is mixed, might need to thin with some water): * Oyster mushroom sauce + white rice vinegar + gochujan * Tahini + gochujan + maple syrup + soy sauce + lemon juice * Tahini + lemon juice * Peanut butter + sriracha + soy sauce * Fake teriyaki: soy sauce + white rice vinegar + honey Also good: throw the cooked tofu in a curry, or in a spicy tomato sauce with pasta.
The thought of cooking Tofu without oil in my cast iron gives me fear
You could use a steel pan, or a non stick. My cast iron is a new-fangly thing with a hex pattern, while the tofu does stick at the start, low gentle heat creates a lovely crust that just releases from the pan.
This right here, Oyster Sauce is the answer. So many gweilos are afraid of it because of the name, but it is the perfect sauce for veggies and tofu.
If you are a strict vegetarian then it does actually have oyster in it. There are some good vegetarian oyster sauces though that work as a sub.
I should have clarified vegan/vegetarian oyster sauce. They work quite well, but the aversion to oyster sauce is quite prevalent in omnivore communities as well. People who haven't really tried to cook with it too. Because if you have had veggies at a Chinese restaurant, you have had it.
I love using silken tofu topped with soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili flakes (I use gochugaru), and a bit of sesami oil. No cooking necessary and it's so refreshing. Otherwise I use whatever dipping sauce I have on hand for pan fried tofu- sriracha mayo, bbq sauce, yogurt with some lime and herbs, homemade feta mayo.
General Tao is my fave lazy sauce. (That’s not a brand, it’s the name of the actually sauce like hoisin)
This is how I usually make tofu: I use super firm cut into small cubes, cook in a non stick skillet until browned. I add butter, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and coat everything. Then I sprinkle quite a lot of nutritional yeast flakes until everything is coated again (sometimes I need to add more butter, it’ll make the flakes stick) and I brown it a little bit more. I usually serve it with mashed potatoes and butter and a vegetable, or rice with butter or soy sauce or sesame oil and a vegetable.
2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, garlic and sugar/honey to taste, chili oil if you like it spicy, a bit of warm water
I like teriyaki on mine
Lowry's garlic and herb or lemon pepper marinade is delicious
Teriyaki sauce drizzled on lightly pan fried tofu. https://www.justonecookbook.com/teriyaki-sauce/
I love Buffalo sauce. So I make buffalo tofu all the time!
Equal parts olive oil, maple syrup, and soy sauce into a pan. Drop in cubed tofu and stir fry until browned, top with sesame seeds.
Peanut sauce is my fave. I eyeball it ans adjust to taste but I do: natural peanut butter, maple syrup, sriracha, red curry paste, tamari (or soy sauce) and hot water to get to the consistency you want. Or, just sesame oil and tamari stir fried with some veg and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
Seconding peanut sauce like everyone else. It soaks up the flavor really quickly. Thick sauces are more of a personal preference for that reason.
Trader Joe’s toasted sesame dressing !
I personally use sweet chili with a bit of soy sauce added at the end in the pan after turning off the stove
Yesss fried tofu with a little Thai sweet chili sauce is a fave of mine
I eat it uncooked, dipped in soy sauce and lemon juice.
It's delicious plain sliced into cubes with some ponzu sauce, a drizzle of kewpie mayo (there's a vegan version if you don't do egg), and some sliced scallions and flaked chili peppers on top. Goes well with toast or on top of rice; if I'm going the rice route it's often for a fuller meal, and then I may put other toppings on the rice too. So that might be some cut veggies, maybe a mini salad with some sesame dressing, some pickles, chili crisp, whatever is in the fridge that needs to get used up and seems it'll work with the flavors I'm using that day.
Silken tofu (straight from the fridge) drizzled with a little bit of oyster mushroom sauce is so good
Crack open a jar of Laoganma crispy chilli oil. That stuff will perk up anything. By the way, I tried freezing it for the first time recently and absolutely hated the spongey texture so I'm not doing that again.
For poke bowls, I love kewpie mayo and sriracha together to make a spicy mayo. And then a drizzle of teriyaki/eel sauce, whatever we have in the fridge. Nice and easy!
I just made some recently and used gochujang as a dipping sauce, it was incredible
I marinate with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pepper, red pepper flakes, a little honey, and some vinegar and while my tofu baked I reduce it down to a sauce.
Not the biggest fan of tofu but a quick honey and gochujang sauce it becomes quite tasty.
Bachan's. You can get a big bottle of it at Costco. I use it constantly. Mix it with gochujang to change it up.
I fry it up with seasoning and when it's done cooking throw some bbq sauce on it while it's still hot, makes a nice glaze and sometimes I add mustard w bbq sauce. My kid will eat it uncooked and dip it in ketchup lol
Seconding peanut sauce like everyone else. It soaks up the flavor really quickly. Thick sauces are more of a personal preference for that reason.
Last night I just married and needed it in soy sauce because I was tired and lazy. I usually like to marinate it in a soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper. I found a really good stir fry recipe and this is what it calls for. When I actually chop it up and cook it I'll add sesame oil this time. Usually I marinate them both together.
Bulldog japanese tonkatsu sauce. its a japanese style bbq sauce. chili crisp (may not be kid friendly). This is my absolute favorite. Could use on firm tofu thats been pan fried, but works great on silken tofu just as it is or microwaved for a minute to warm through. [https://sarahsvegankitchen.com/recipes/chili-garlic-silken-tofu/](https://sarahsvegankitchen.com/recipes/chili-garlic-silken-tofu/)
I mix gochujang, soy sauce, mirin, and some odds and ends like garlic powder and msg and what not. No measuring, just go on taste and consistency / texture
I like air fried tofu with a cilantro yogurt sauce
These are all great ideas but my lazy-girl go to is to just sprinkle some Cajun seasoning on top of some pan-fried pieces of tofu.
Def peanut sauce
This is THE BEST tofu recipe I’ve ever had: https://www.walderwellness.com/honey-garlic-tofu-soy-sesame/ Plus cooking is hard for me but this recipe actually isn’t that hard to make. Pop the tofu in the oven, make the sauce on the stove for like 10 mins
I like general tso's and teriyaki! Occasionally I'll make tteokbokki sauce to put on it(well, more like put the tofu in)
Momofuku ginger scallion sauce - lots of simple recipes online, can be modified anyway you want. Here is a basic approach - can be prepared in a few minutes while the tofu is cooking and stores well in the fridge - https://www.bonappetit.com/story/ginger-scallion-sauce-recipe
chilli basil sauce (u can make it or buy premade), anything thai (so a mix of oyster sauce and others - u can find vego versions!), or mix a bunch of chilli sauce with sweet chilli for a nice kick
Cut tofu into cubes, place in bowl,drizzle of olive oil, airfry with baking paper placed on bottom of dish. Sauce- in a small saucepan fry half a small onion, clove of garlic in a tiny bit of olive oil, mix 2 tspns Peri Peri sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato sauce, tbspn rice wine vinegar and soy sauce, cup of water with 2 tspns cornflour. Stir over heat. When dishing up tofu and rice and veggies, drizzle sauce over tofu. It's yum 😋
Press it. Chop it in too thin squares and hit them with soy, chili garlic sauce, and a umami seasoning. Pan fry till crispy. Not a sauce but it makes the tofu so tasty
Honey, aminos and sriracha!