Crispy Sweet Chilli Tofu Bowl

This crispy tofu bowl, adapted from the Well Vegan Blog is so quick and easy to whip up! It's definitely something that I will be making again. The family devoured it and asked for more for lunches the next day! I've never had such crispy tofu in my life! I'll try this recipe baked next time and let you know how it goes but in the mean time...

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Ingredients

For the Crispy Tofu:

• 14 ounces extra-firm tofu (1 package)

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar

• 1 small lime, juiced

• 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

• 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (gf option).

• 4 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 8 tablespoons cold water

• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or gf breadcrumbs)

• refill plate as needed to coat the tofu

• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil, for frying

For the sweet chilli sauce:

• 1/2 cup vegan mayo

• 2 tablespoons pineapple juice (optional)

• 2 teaspoons lime juice

• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce

Directions

1) Wrap the block of tofu in a tea towel and press it with something heavy to remove as much liquid as possible! This is important because the more liquid you squeeze out, the more marinade it can soak in and the more flavourful your final result will be! Proceed to cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and press gently again.

2) Prepare the marinade: combine soy sauce and coconut sugar in a bowl and microwave in 15-second intervals until the sugar dissolves, stirring in between. Add the lime juice and fresh ginger. Whisk to combine!

3) Transfer the tofu into a shallow container and pour the marinade over, try and get as many pieces of tofu in the marinade as possible. If you don't have a shallow dish, add 1/4 of water to the container so that the marinade can cover more tofu pieces. Flip or toss the tofu at least once. There longer you can marinade it the better (2 hours is ideal), but if you're starving, it'll still taste good.

​​​4) Prepare the batter: mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and water (OR drain the marinade off the tofu and use this instead for a more flavourful batter!) Whisk until super duper smooth.

5) Heat the oil in the pan, get it nice and hot! Plop the tofu cubes into the batter, then roll it around in the breadcrumbs. Coat each side! To get it as crispy as possible, resist the urge to flip the tofu too early! Let each side of the tofu cubes sizzle and firm up! Once each side is done, place them on a towel to soak up some of the oil. Once slightly cooled, they'll be perfectly crisp!! Be careful not to burn them because it can happen quickly. Work in batches to avoid burning!

6) While the tofu cools, blend all sauce ingredients together until smooth! Plate the rice, vegetables of your choice, I chose fresh cucumber and shredded purple cabbage, crispy tofu, and top with cilantro! Enjoy!

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I can't wait to try a baked version of this! Let me know if you try it out! The crispiness of the tofu is something I don't want to mess with too much!

Kaits xox