Sticky Tofu Teriyaki

Sticky Tofu Teriyaki is salty sweet and reminds me of the feeling of good pub grub.

From those long ago days of stopping in for a beer after work and catching a game or catching up with a friend.

Those days when busy meant fitting in a workout before dinner. (Ha!)

It’s filed under ‘no complaints’ because there were no suggestions that it needed bacon and my most dedicated omnivore didn’t feel the need to cut each characteristic cube into teeny bits of unrecognizable protein.

The sauce is lovely and works anywhere you want that teriyaki vibe.

It stickies up nicely with the tofu, but to use it in other dishes you’ll need to thicken it with cornstarch (or some such starch). Two teaspoons / 10 ml stirred into one  tablespoon / 15 ml of water should do it. Stir it into the hot sauce and let it simmer briefly to thicken.

Rice vinegar is mild with a slightly sweet tone that adds a gentle tang to the sauce. If you don’t have any on hand, try apple cider vinegar instead. Other vinegars will be too harsh.

Serve your tofu with rice or noodles. Or eat it on its own – out of the pot with your fingers when there is no one around.

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Sticky Tofu Teriyaki

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

The sauce for this tofu is very easy to prepare and can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week.

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Mary Gillespie

Ingredients

Tofu:

• 1-1/2 lbs / 750 g firm or extra firm tofu 2 packages
• 1/3 cup / 80 ml cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml salt
• 1/4 teaspoon / 1.25 ml ground pepper

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup / 125 ml soy sauce
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml water
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon / 15 ml sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml ground ginger or 1 tablespoon / 15 ml fresh grated ginger

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F / 204 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice the tofu in half horizontally so that you have 4 slabs that are each about 1-inch / 2.5 ml thick Place the slabs on one half of a clean towel and cover with the other half. Press firmly to squeeze out extra water and to dry the surface.
3. Remove the towel and cut the slabs into 1-inch / 2.5 ml cubes.
4. Mix the cornstarch, salt and pepper together in a bowl or bag. Add the tofu cubes and toss quickly until lightly coated.
5. Place cubes on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they are lightly browned.
6. While the tofu is baking, prepare the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients (soy sauce, water, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, pepper, garlic and ginger) in a medium pan or sauce pan.
7. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally as it cooks. Remove from heat.
8. When the tofu is cooked, place it in the pot with the sauce and return to medium-low heat. Coat the tofu cubes with the sauce, and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is sticky on the tofu.
9. Remove from heat and serve with noodles or rice.