Tofu Primavera Stir Fried Rice

Whoever says tofu is tasteless simply does not know how to flavor tofu. Try this unbelievably flavorful vegetarian stir fried rice with tofu, restaurant quality. I use a lesser amount of rice and perhaps more tofu sauce flavoring than other recipes (like one found in NYT Cooking by Kay Chun that inspired this: I had no broccoli so I used cabbage, but broccoli - or many other veggies you have on hand, for that matter, would be just fine here as well).

Sauce for Tofu:

2 Tbsp hoisin or Korean BBQ sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 tsp chili paste with garlic (don't skimp!)

1/2 tsp grated ginger (I used jared) 

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2-inch fresh ginger minced

14 oz block extra firm tofu, drained

1 small onion, diced

1 red serrano (or jalapeño) pepper, sliced

2 small carrots sliced

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 cups chopped green cabbage

3 cups leftover cooked rice, cooled

Garnish:

2 scallions, sliced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro (or parsley), minced

toasted sesame seeds (I used black, here)

Japanese pickled ginger (optional)

pickled, fermented red beets (optional)

Getting ready: Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Slice the tofu into 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices and place on half a kitchen towel.  Wrap the other half of the towel over the tofu and top with a cutting board and a few cans of food to weigh down a bit. Cube tofu into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces after about 10 minutes. Whisk the eggs together with the soy sauce and sesame oil in another small bowl.

Ideally, you will need three non-stick skillets; a small, medium and large one.  But you can get away with just a medium and large, or just a large if you separate things aside in bowls.

Heat a dash or neutral oil (like canola or safflower) in the large skillet.  Add the carrots, onion and the pepper and cook five minutes over medium heat, stirring often.

Meanwhile, heat another dash of oil in the medium skillet,  Add the garlic and ginger and cook about 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat.  Add the sauce and increase heat to medium-high.  Add the drained and dried tofu cubes to the sauce and bring to a gentle boil.  

Reduce heat to a gently-bubbling simmer, tossing the tofu gently, but well in the sauce to cover all sides.  Reduce to a simmer and cook five minutes.

Meanwhile, once the veggies have begun to soften, 

add the cabbage and the peas. 

Stir fry over medium heat for five more minutes, just to heat through and soften the cabbage a bit.

Add the rice.  

Mix well and heat through for a few minutes over medium heat - a bit of crackling is great.

Meanwhile, scramble the eggs in the small pan in a dash of neutral oil.  If desired, you can push the rice aside in the large pan and scramble the eggs on one side.  Nice idea if you are good at tilting the pan to keep the eggs separate.  Break up the eggs once cooked through.

Now you are ready to assemble.  

Gently fold half the tofu and all the eggs into the rice, mixing well, but being careful not to break up the tofu.  Turn into a serving platter.  Top with remaining tofu.  Garnish with what you would like - I highly recommend serving with at least Japanese pickled ginger.

Serves 4 generously.

Cook's Note: You could also just cook the tofu in the sauce as above, but stir fry the veggies, and build on the plate: rice, then veggies then tofu (if you wanted to leave the egg step out).