Prior to being vegan, did you used to think that tofu was the most boring and tasteless ingredient on earth? Me too! Thankfully now I know better! If like me, you’re now a tofu fan check out my sesame tofu with mixed vegetables over rice.
Pan frying the tofu after marinating it for a quarter of an hour makes it lovely and crispy on the outside and soft and flavorsome on the inside.
The marinade goes almost glaze-like on the outside of the tofu and then we top it off with sesame seeds, which give a nutty bitterness that compliments the whole flavor profile so well.
I’ve given some suggestions on which vegetables you can use to accompany the tofu; mushrooms (any variety you like), cabbage, broccoli, sugar snap peas and red onion, but feel free to use whatever your favorite veggies are.
Other veggies that would work well include thinly sliced carrot, eggplant, bok choy or spinach.
Again, I’ve used white rice to go with this meal, but you can definitely swap out the white rice for brown if you prefer.
If you like to cook up large batches of food to freeze and use over the coming week or so, this recipe would work perfectly for that.
You might just lose a little of the tofu’s crispiness; however, you could get around this by leaving the tofu separate from the rice and veggies and reheating it in the oven to crisp up before adding into the rest of the meal.
Want more tofu recipes? Why not give these a try?
Tropical Coconut Marinade and Sauce for Grilled Tofu
Japanese Fried Tofu in Kombu Dashi Broth
Tofu Scramble with Veggies and Roasted Potatoes
Thai Style Mango Curry
Don’t forget to leave me a comment if you make this Sesame Tofu recipe or even if you’re pinning it for later.
You can also tag us on Instagram @one_bite_vegan to share your own kitchen creations – we love to see them!
Sesame Tofu with Mixed Vegetables over Rice
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Main ingredients
- 2 cups white rice
- 1 pound extra firm tofu drained and cut into cubes
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- ½ cup red onion diced
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup snow peas or sugar snap peas
- 1 cup shredded cabbage napa, green, or red
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
- 1 tbsp canola oil
Instructions
- Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the tofu cubes and stir well. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Cook the rice according to the rice package instructions.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Toast the sesame seeds until golden brown. Set aside.
- Add the canola and sesame oil to the pan and bring up to temperature. With a slotted spoon scoop the tofu out of the bowl and lightly fry until golden brown. Remove from pan with the slotted spoon and set aside.
- Turn the heat to high and add the vegetables. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Return the tofu to the pan and add the reserved marinade. Cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the sesame seeds all over. Serve immediately over steamed rice.
