Orange Tofu & Basmati Rice
when all else fails - orange tofu is the go to dinner that never misses
lets be real for a sec - most of us have had an interesting relationship with tofu. Before I went vegan I was vegetarian for 3 years and at the start of those 3 years of vegetarianism I had tried a tofu dish that was just a little too bold for me for where I was at. It was boiled and jiggly and just not my sorta texture so guess who didn’t even wanna look at tofu for the next 3 years - ya guessed it. But I have a rule for myself because I don’t like being “picky”. Before I ever decide I don’t like something I have to at least try cooking it myself and maybe even a couple different ways before I give up and end up deciding that I just really don’t like the thing.
This sauce comes together in 10 minutes which is another reason why I love this recipe. It's really as easy as sauteing onions, garlic and ginger till golden brown, some soy sauce and deglazing with some vegetable stock. Once that little base is nicely mixed together I add the orange juice, zest and cornstarch and allow the sauce to thicken on low heat. Plop in your tofu, turn off the heat and allow it to carry over and thicken. Just like that you have a tofu dish that you know you can whip out in a pinch even if you don't have a lot to work with.
Orange Tofu
Serves 2 / prep and cook time about 45 min.
Ingredients for the sauce
1/2 cup - white or yellow onion diced
2 tbsp - minced garlic
2 tbsp - minced ginger
3 tbsp - soy sauce
1/2 cup - warm vegetable stock
1 cup - fresh orange juice
2 tbsp - orange zest
1 tbsp - cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup cold water - a slurry
1/2 cup - warm vegetable stock
Ingredients for the tofu
1 - 16 oz block of tofu patted dry and cut into cubes
2 tbsp oil - I used grapeseed
3 tbsp - soy sauce
1/2 tbsp - garlic powder
1 tbsp - corn starch
Instructions
Step 1 - Prep
There is nothing worse than going to make something and realizing you don’t have the stuff ! Start off with doing a quick bit of seasoning with the tofu by coating it in oil, soy sauce, garlic powder and corn starch for crispiness. Depending on your air fryer the cook time could vary. I air fried my tofu at 400 degrees for 25 minutes giving it a toss after about 15 minutes.
Step 2 - Making the sauce
In a medium sauté pan, heat the pan with a bit of oil and add in the diced onion. Let that get a little color to it before adding in the garlic and ginger. Toss this around for a minute and then season this up with a bit of soy sauce, giving another stir and toss before pouring in half a cup the vegetable stock. Then allow this to simmer on low heat for maybe 3 minutes. Now that that has come together, pour in the orange juice, add in the orange zest and pour in the corn starch slurry with the rest of the vegetable stock. Stir this over low heat allowing this to thicken and come togethe.
Step 3 - Add in the tofu
Add in the tofu cubes fresh from the air fryer and give it all a good mix to allow the sauce to smother the tofu and let this cook and mingle together on low heat for maybe 5 minutes.
Step 4 - Plating and serving
Plate the orange tofu over fresh basmati rice and garnish with chopped green onions. Save any left overs in an air tight, food safe container for up to 7 days in the fridge.
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3