Once you crack the 'how to make tofu' tasty conundrum, you are set to make all kinds of tasty & easy to eat quick dinners.
So.. who wants to know how to do it?
For a flavourful tofu, first get a super firm tofu (OR you can press your slightly not so firm tofu between sheets of paper to remove the water content.. see this recipe for the full how-to..) which allows the flavours you are then going to marinate the tofu in to penetrate the tofu.
That's the secret. Remove the water to allow more flavour to get in!
To impart the flavour this time, we used the Umami & Ginger paste by Clearspring that we sent out in our September 2018 box. If you don't have that to hand, use 1 Tbs of miso, 1 Tbs of ginger and 2 Tbs of soy sauce to create a similar effect. Then you marinate the tofu for at least half an hour- but up to overnight if you are organised & remember to do it!
Then, we simply tossed the tofu in some corn starch and shallow fried it. This makes for a more-ish crispy outer and a tender interior. Once fried and crispy, we set it aside & stir fried the other veggies, adding a little more marinade, then tossing with the soba noodles.
That's it! How easy is that!
Best of all, if you make extra, this delicious stir fry is just as good as left overs the next day. Soba noodles are traditionally served cold or room temperature, so you don't even need to heat up your lunch! Perfect if you're on the go!
Crispy Tofu, Veggie & Soba Noodle Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the Crispy Tofu
- 1 pack very firm tofu (or tofu that has been pressed) cut into 2cm cubes
- 2-3 Tbsp Umami & Ginger paste OR 1 Tbsp miso, 2 Tbsp soy Sauce & 2 tsp fresh ginger.
- 2-3 Tbsp mirin or white wine
- 2-3 Tbsp corn starch
- 3-4 Tbsp oil rapeseed or sunflower
For the Veggie Stir Fry
- 1 Cup mixed chopped veggies I used green beans, red peppers and spring onion, but use any firm, crispy veggies you have to hand.
- 1 Cup chopped Greens I used chard, but spinach, cabbage or kale would be nice.
- 2 Tbsp Umami & Ginger paste OR 1 Tbsp miso, 2 Tbsp soy Sauce & 2 tsp fresh ginger.
- 2 Tbsp mirin or white wine
- 1 Tbsp oil rapeseed or sunflower
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 125 g soba noodles about ½ a pack for 2 people
Instructions
For the Tofu
- Marinate the tofu cubes in the Umami paste & mirin for at least 30 mins or overnight
- Toss in the corn starch
- Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and shallow fry until the tofu is crispy on the outside.
- Drain the tofu on paper towels & wipe the pan with a paper towel so you can use it for the stir fry. .
For the Stir Fry.
- Cook the soba noodles in boiling water for 5 mins (or whatever the pack indicates) then refresh in cold water & drain.
- Heat the wok or large frying pan again & add the oil. Once the pan is very hot add the chopped crispy veggies.
- Stir the veggies around so they pop & sizzle. You want them to cook very quickly to keep their crunch. (around 2 mins)
- Add the greens and the stir fry sauce. Mix until the greens wilt. (around 1 min)
- Add the cooked, cooled and drained soba noodles and stir.
- Serve in bowls with the tofu and sesame seeds sprinkled over.
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