Sweet and Sour Crispy Tofu Rips with Sticky Fried Rice
Crusted ripped pieces of tofu fried to perfection and coated in a sweet & sour sticky Kikkoman soy sauce, served with soft red peppers, spring onions and sticky jasmine rice
Serves
Ingredients
For the tofu rips
<item-todo-done>2 x 280g packets of extra firm tofu - drained<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 tbsp cornflour<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 red peppers<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> vegetable oil - for shallow frying<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper - to taste<item-todo-done>
For the sweet & sour sauce
<item-todo-done>2 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 thumb sized piece of ginger<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 tbsp tomato purée<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 tbsp tomato ketchup<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp harissa paste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 tbsp brown sugar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>100ml pineapple juice<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> salt<item-todo-done>
For the sticky fried rice
<item-todo-done>25g plant-based butter<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>140g Jasmine rice<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>330ml water<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp turmeric<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp mirin<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 lime<item-todo-done>
To serve
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp sesame seeds<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 spring onions<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 lime<item-todo-done>
Before you start
1 mixing bowl | 2-3 frying pans | Microplane
Make the sweet & sour sauce
- Peel and grate the garlic cloves and ginger
- Place into a small saucepan over a medium heat, along with the soy sauce, tomato purée, ketchup, harissa, brown sugar, pineapple juice and a pinch of salt
- Mix well until everything comes together and bring to the boil
- Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for a couple of minutes until the mixture turns into a thick, sticky sauce - you can add a dash of water if it ever becomes too thick
Cook the rice
- Place a small saucepan over a medium heat and add the plant-based butter
- Once melted, add a tablespoon of olive oil and the rice, mix well and fry for a couple of seconds before pouring in the water and adding the turmeric, mirin and soy sauce
- Bring the rice and the water to the boil
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to a low simmer and cover the rice with a lid
- Cook for 12 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed by the rice
- After 12 minutes, leave the rice to rest for 10 minutes with the lid on
Prepare the tofu rips and peppers
- Rip the tofu into long chunks and place into a mixing bowl
- Add the cornflour and a good pinch of salt and pepper
- Toss (or stir) to completely coat the tofu pieces
- Roughly chop the peppers into bite-sized chunks
Cook the tofu and peppers
- Warm 1cm of vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat until the end of a wooden spoon bubbles gently
- Once warm enough, add the coated tofu chunks to the pan and fry, turning constantly with tongs until golden and really crispy (approx 10 mins)
- Once cooked, transfer the tofu pieces to the plate and leave to drain
- Cook the peppers; place a separate pan over a medium heat (we use the one we used previously for the sweet & sour sauce) and add a drizzle of olive oil
- Once warm, add the peppers and a pinch of salt, mix well and cook for a few minutes until soft
Time to serve
- Fluff the rice with a fork and mix through the soy sauce and a squeeze of lime juice
- Finely slice the spring onions
- Add the tofu and peppers to the sauce and toss to coat
- Transfer the tofu pieces to a serving plate, garnish with spring onions, sesame seeds and some lime wedges on the side** **
- Serve immediately