Spicy Stir-Fried Tofu with Coconut Rice

As I’ve mentioned, we’ve been picking up lots of cookbooks at thrift stores lately. One of our recent finds was Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, and after a half-dozen recipes, it is quickly becoming one of our go-to cookbooks! This recipe was one of the first we tried, and we’ve already made it twice because it’s relatively easy (great for a weeknight) and SO darn tasty!

Our first stop in the cookbook was the tofu chapter because we had a Costco 4-pack of tofu that needed to get used. I’m happy to report that all four recipes are entering our regular dinner rotation, not a dud among them! I hadn’t ever heard of this cookbook before we stumbled across it at the thrift store, but according to the Amazon, I must have been living under a rock, because the reviews are incredible!

Although we selected this recipe for the tofu, the real star is the coconut rice – it really elevates the entire dish, and gives what would normally be just a base food its own flavor palette and identity. When we were eating this for dinner, we actually suggested that perhaps we should just make the rice next time!

That’s not to say the tofu isn’t amazing, too, because it is – it’s perfectly spiced, and along with the cilantro, it is the perfect accompaniment to the world’s greatest coconut rice. 😉

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Spicy Stir-Fried Tofu with Coconut Rice

Ingredients

Coconut Rice

• 1 3/4 cups basmati rice
• 4 tsp roasted peanut oil
• 1 onion finely diced
• 1 Tbsp ginger minced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
• 15 oz coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp lime zest

Tofu

• 1 package firm or extra-firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp coriander ground
• 1 Tbsp cumin ground
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp peanut oil
• 4 green onions including greens, chopped
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 cup cilantro chopped, for garnish
• additional lime juice to taste, optional

Instructions

Rice - Stovetop

1. Gently wash the rice in a bowl, soak for 30 minutes, then drain. Warm the oil in a saucepan with the onion, ginger, garlic, and turmeric. Cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, then add the rice and salt. Stir to coat the rice, then add the coconut milk, 2 cups water, and the lime zest. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is done, 15 to 18 minutes, stirring twice during cooking. Turn off the heat, and let sit while the excess moisture is absorbed.

Rice - Pressure cooker

1. Gently wash the rice in a bowl. Warm oil in the pressure cooker pot with the onion, ginger, garlic, and turmeric, and cook for 8 minutes, then add rice and salt. Stir to coat, then add coconut milk, 2 cups water, and lime zest. Cook rice following pressure-cooker's heat, time, and release instructions for basmati rice.

Tofu

1. Drain the tofu, then cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. Combine the spices, salt, and sugar in a bowl, add the tofu, and toss gently. Heat the oil in a skillet, add the tofu, and stir-fry until crispy and golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the green onions and cook just until they’re wilted, then add the lime juice. Serve the tofu over the rice, garnished with the cilantro. Add additional lime juice to taste.
2. Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, 1997

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