Everyone needs a simple stir-fry in their cooking repertoire.
This is the sort of meal you’ll look forward to rustling up after a busy day at work.
In and out of the kitchen in 15 minutes.
We use extra-firm tofu which doesn’t require pressing. But depending on what tofu you use, you might need to spend 10 minutes or so pressing out the moisture.
Some stir-fry recipes suggest cooking the tofu and veggies in sesame oil from the start.
Just be aware that sesame oil has a low smoking point, so it burns easily if the temperature is too high.
We prefer to cook the tofu and veggies in vegetable oil, then add the sesame oil near the end to capture its lovely toasted flavour.
Whenever you’re cooking with tofu, marinading it for a few hours or ideally overnight will help pack in lots of flavour.
But let’s be realistic, sometimes you get home from work and you don’t want to wait hours for a quick midweek meal.
For this stir-fry, we simply season the tofu with salt and pepper and coat the pieces in cornflour (or cornstarch, depending on where you’re from).
Then we cover the tofu in a sweet and sticky sauce to bring all the flavour.
It’s a speedy alternative to cooking tofu that totally works.
This recipe serves 2 people generously. The extra tofu is a great source of protein, but if you prefer smaller portions then this stir-fry will happily stretch to 3 people.
We also love throwing in any leftover veggies we have lying around in the fridge.
They shouldn’t take too long in the wok because you want that lovely crunch that comes with using fresh vegetables.
And did you know we have a cookbook? If you love this then you’ll totally love our debut 5-ingredient cookbook So Vegan in 5, which is available to buy now.
Enjoy!
Roxy & Ben
Super Easy Stir-FryWho else loves a super speedy midweek stir-fry? 🥢
Posted by So Vegan on Thursday, 12 September 2019
Super Easy Stir-Fry
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Ingredients
300g / 10.5oz extra-firm tofu- 3 tbsp cornflour
- salt & pepper
- vegetable oil
- thumb of ginger
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 carrot
- 1 red pepper
- 1/2 courgette
- 90g / 3.2oz baby sweetcorn
- 90g / 3.2oz mange tout
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 lime, juice only
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- rice for 2-3 people
- 1 spring onion
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- If you’re using extra-firm tofu, you shouldn’t need to press the block to remove any moisture. Alternatively, remove the tofu from its packaging and place it on a plate between a couple of paper towels. Top with a heavy book or mug and leave to press for 10-15 minutes.
- Cook the rice as per packet instructions.
- Meanwhile, when the tofu is ready, slice it into bite-sized rectangular pieces and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the cornflour to a plate, then dip each piece of tofu into the cornflour until they’re completely coated in cornflour.
- Heat a splash of oil in a wok on a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu pieces and fry for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Add an extra splash of oil during the frying if the wok is too dry. Then remove the tofu from the wok.
- While the tofu is frying, prep the remainder of the ingredients. Peel and dice the garlic and ginger, and slice the carrot, red pepper and courgette into matchsticks. Finally slice the spring onion.
- Add another splash of oil to the wok. When it’s hot, add the garlic and ginger, and fry for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Next add the carrot, red pepper, baby corn, mange tout and courgette, and fry for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Next add the tofu back in, along with the sesame oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, lime juice and hoisin sauce . Give everything a good stir, then fry for 2 minutes, again stirring frequently to make sure everything cooks evenly. When it’s ready, season to taste with salt and pepper, and give it a final stir.
- Serve alongside the rice, and sprinkle with spring onion and sesame seeds to finish. Yum!
1 comment
We haven’t tried it without the oil but I’d suggest following the recipe as it is and adding a little water to the pan when you need it (when the ingredients start to stick to the pan). Roxy (So Vegan)