Crispy Tofu Satay Bites

Crispy Tofu Satay Bites

These Crispy Tofu Satay Bites are one of those recipes we genuinely can't stop making. There's something about that combination of crunchy, golden tofu and rich, nutty satay sauce that just gets us every time. The trick of ripping the tofu by hand gives you all these jagged little edges that go properly crispy in the pan, and trust us, once you try it you'll never go back to cutting it. They're brilliant as a side, amazing as a sharing snack, and honestly good enough to just eat standing over the bowl before they even make it to the table.

Cook: 45 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large baking tray lined with parchment
  • Tofu press (or use tea towels & weight)
  • Mixing bowl
  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Thai 7-spice
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 4 tbsp cornflour
  • salt to taste
  • low-fat cooking oil spray
  • 1 x 280g block of firm tofu
  • 1 tbsp plant-based yoghurt
  • 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter - or almond butter
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • ½ tbsp plant-based Thai red curry paste
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 1 lime
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 5g fresh coriander

Method

1

First, prep the tofu

  • Press the tofu using a tofu press or place it between two clean tea towels, lay it on a plate and put a weight on top
  • Leave for 10-15 minutes to drain off any liquid
  • Carefully rip the tofu into equal bite-sized nuggets (the rough edges from ripping it aid crunchiness)
2

Put the tofu nuggets in a mixing bowl

  • Add the Thai 7-spice, turmeric and pepper, and season with a little salt
  • Gently toss to coat
  • Add the yoghurt and fold to coat
  • Add 1 tablespoon of the cornflour and fold again, to coat
  • Repeat this process twice more, adding a tablespoon of cornflour at a time
  • Add the final tablespoon of cornflour to the bowl and toss the nuggets to coat
3

Tip the nuggets onto the lined baking tray and spread them out

  • Spray with four sprays of cooking oil, put the tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, turning the nuggets halfway through to break them up (if the nuggets appear to be drying out too quickly, spray a touch more cooking spray over the top of them)
4

While the nuggets are baking, make the satay dipping sauce

  • Peel the garlic clove
  • Halve the lime and squeeze the juice into a blender
  • Add all the remaining sauce ingredients and blitz to make a creamy sauce
5

Time to serve

  • Remove the nuggets from the oven, put them on a dish and garnish with coriander leaves
  • Put the satay dipping sauce in a serving bowl alongside and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Press it properly: We know it's tempting to skip this step but please don't. The drier the tofu, the crispier it gets. Even 10 minutes under a heavy pan makes a big difference.
  • Rip, don't slice: This is the one Henry swears by. Ripping the tofu creates uneven edges that crisp up way better than any knife cut. Embrace the rough look, it's where the magic happens.
  • Make the satay sauce your own: Ian always sneaks in a little extra chilli if he's making these for himself. A squeeze of lime at the end brightens the whole thing up too. Don't be shy with it.

Why This Works

The magic here is all in how you prep the tofu. Pressing it properly and then ripping it rather than cutting it means you get loads of surface area, and all those rough bits catch the spices and crisp up beautifully. The Thai 7-spice and turmeric give it this incredible warmth before the satay sauce even comes into the picture, so every bite has flavour all the way through.