Vegetable Tofu Stir Fry

Wholesome, tasty, protein-packed recipe with crispy tofu, colourful tender-crisp veggies, stir-fried in a flavourful sauce! Paired with steamed rice, brown rice or noodles, it makes for a satisfying and filling meal.

This tofu stir fry recipe is vegan, easy to make, customisable and turns out better than the one you get at restaurants. The bonus part is generous use of vegetables that makes it more nutritious, fibre rich and together with the quick homemade stir-fry sauce, they taste absolutely delectable.

To make this recipe, you will need below ingredients-

Tofu– Always use extra-firm tofu for making stir fries. Firm tofu also works but ‘extra firm’ turns out to more crispy. Silken tofu should not be used as it has high moisture content, and is suitable for making dips or sauces like this silken tofu pasta sauce.

I have shown the pan frying method to cook the tofu but you can air fry it or even bake it in oven as shown in this sweet sour tofu recipe. The rest of the cooking steps remain the same.

Tofu is a great source of plant based protein as 100 g of serving has approx 15 g protein and ~5 g fat. The recipe is customisable as you can modify the quantities of vegetables and tofu in it as per your diet requirement.

I have marinated the tofu with simple salt and crushed black pepper as otherwise it tastes bland from inside. You can even add paprika or little bit soy sauce to lock in more flavour, before coating with cornstarch.

Instead of tofu, you can also use homemade or store bought paneer (Indian cottage cheese). However as it is derived from milk, it is not vegan or dairy free.

Veggies–  Crunchy vegetables like bell peppers, capsicum, onion, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans, and baby corn etc go well in stir fries. Spinach and bok choy are also great additions. Use any vegetables of your choice.

Before you start with the recipe, just make sure to prep them in advance as the cooking goes on really fast, leaving no time in between. Also, while sautéing we make sure to cook them just enough that they still maintain their crunch. Soggy vegetables are a strict-no in stir fries.

Sauce– The stir frying sauce is made with soy sauce, vinegar, honey / maple syrup & sriracha. I have used low sodium light soy sauce here. If you are using dark soy sauce, use 2 tbsp instead of 3 tbsp and add more later while required. As most soy sauce brands have gluten, use tamari which is its gluten-free alternative.

Cornstarch– It is a white coloured naturally gluten-free flour derived from corn. It is used twice in the recipe- first for coating the tofu which gives it a perfectly crispy exterior and second to thicken the sauce.

Oil– Though any cooking oil can be used but I personally would suggest using sesame oil as it has a high smoke point and adds a beautiful aroma to the dish. Here I used olive oil for pan frying tofu and sesame oil for stir frying.

Aromatics– Ginger & garlic adds a punch of flavour and aroma to the stir fry. For maximum taste, use freshly minced ginger and garlic. White part of spring onions (scaliions) can also be added along with them.

Don’t forget to top up this vegetable tofu stir fry with lightly toasted sesame seeds to add a lovely crunchy-nutty texture and some spring onion greens to add a touch of freshness. Hope you would try and like this recipe!

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Extra firm Tofu- 200 g (7 oz)
• Olive Oil- 1.5 tbsp (or any neutral cooking oil)
• Cornstarch- 1.5 tbsp
• Salt- 1/4 tsp (to taste)
• Black Pepper (crushed)- 1/2 tsp
• Sesame Oil- 2 tsp
• Garlic (minced)- 3 to 4 cloves
• Ginger (minced)- 1.5 tsp
• Onion (cubed)- 1/2 cup
• Bell Peppers (cubed)-1/2 cup (use any colour)
• Broccoli florets- 3/4 cup
• Carrots (sliced)- 1/3 cup
• Spring Onion greens (chopped)- For garnishing
• Sesame Seeds- For garnishing
• For the sauce:
  • Soy Sauce (low sodium)- 3 tbsp
  • Rice vinegar / White vinegar- 1 tbsp
  • Honey / Maple Syrup- 2 tsp
  • Sriracha / Chilli Sauce- 2 tsp
  • Cornstarch- 1 tbsp
  • Water- 1/4 cup

Notes:

1. The above recipe yields 2-3 servings.
2. Instead of chilli sauce, you can use chilli-flakes.
3. You can steam or blanch the broccoli before using.

Directions:

Step 1:
Rinse the tofu. Press it between kitchen napkin and put some heavy weight on it (like rolling board). Leave it like this for 10-15 min to get rid of extra moisture. If you are short of time, just pat dry the tofu well.

Step 2:
Cut it into cubes. Transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle salt, crushed black pepper and toss gently. Sprinkle 1.5 tbsp cornstarch on them and toss till all pieces are coated.

Step 4:
Add soy sauce, vinegar, honey / maple syrup, chilli-sauce, 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1/4 cup water to a bowl. Whisk well with a fork & keep aside.

Step 5:
To the same pan in which we cooked tofu, heat 2 tsp sesame oil. Add ginger-garlic. Sauté for 10-15 sec while stirring. Add onion and sauté for 1-2 min.

Step 6:
Add bell peppers, broccoli & carrots (there should be sizzling sound). Saute for 2-3 min while tossing the veggies in between.

Step 7:
Stir the sauce well (as cornstarch can settle at bottom). Add it to the sautéed veggies along with some crushed black pepper. Mix gently.

Step 8:
Once the sauce starts bubbling, add crispy tofu. Mix well and cook till the sauce thickens up. Taste and adjust salt or seasoning as per your liking. Garnish with spring onion greens & sesame seeds. Serve hot with steamed rice, fried rice or noodles.

Tips:

1. Any leftover can be stored in fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
2. Pressing the tofu is important as otherwise it will not get crispy.
3. Instead of chilli sauce, you can use chilli flakes or finely chopped fresh chilli. As sauces already have salt, it is better to add salt (if required) at the end of cooking after tasting.
4. Other veggies that can be used in this stir-fry recipe- baby corn shoots, zucchini, mushrooms, snow peas, french beans, spinach or bok choy.
5. If you are ok with dairy, then replace tofu with paneer, keeping rest of the recipe same.

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(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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