Teriyaki Tofu

Words and imagery: Sasha Gill // @thesashadiaries

“When I was younger, I would put teriyaki sauce on everything. It was my form of ketchup: the perfect condiment for almost every meal.” says Sasha. “While I no longer drown my food in it, one pairing that has stuck with me is teriyaki and crispy tofu. Although teriyaki sauce is readily available, homemade has even more flavour, and it is cheap and easy to make. Serve on a bed of steamed rice, sprinkled with a hefty dose of sesame seeds. This goes perfectly alongside Miso caramel aubergine.”

Serves 4

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Prep time: 20 minutes (plus marinating time)

Cooking time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 block (300 g) extra-firm tofu, pressed

¼ cup (60 ml) light soy sauce. For gluten free use tamari in place of soy sauce.

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ cup (45 g) lightly packed brown sugar

about ¼ cup (30 g) cornflour

sliced spring onion (scallion), red chilli and sesame seeds, to serve”

METHOD

First marinate the tofu. Cut the tofu into cubes. In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, brown sugar and 1 cup (250 ml) water. Place the tofu cubes in the marinade, then cover and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove the tofu from the marinade, toss lightly in cornflour and place on the baking tray. Bake the tofu for 25 minutes, flipping it over halfway through, until browned and crispy.

Meanwhile, place the remaining marinade in a saucepan.

Mix 1 tablespoon cornflour with 3 tablespoons water until smooth. Add to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens.

Stir the crispy tofu cubes into the sauce and serve hot, garnished with spring onion, chilli and sesame seeds.

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Hungry for more? Check our more delicious vegan Asian delights in Sasha’s book Jackfruit and Blue Ginger, $39.99.