Coconut is my favourite plus-one to bring to a breading party. It adds texture, flavour (hello, toasty goodness!) and colour. And in this case, with tofu and peanut sauce, it’s undeniably delicious.
Equipment
Here’s everything you need to make tofu bowls at home:
- chef’s knife
- cutting board
- 3 small bowls or trays for dredging
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- tongs
- medium bowl
You can find the full ingredients list and recipe instructions below!
Cooking Tips
- Use plant milk instead of egg for breading. I wanted this recipe to be vegan and vegetarian for all my plant-based friends, so I swapped the egg for oat milk in my dredging station. This is also a great little hack for when you think you have eggs in the fridge…but don’t! If oat milk isn’t your vibe, just about any milk will work.
- Use a generous amount of oil when baking! The oil will encourage browning and ensure you get a crispy exterior without the trouble of frying. If you have cooking oil in a spray can, this would be a great place to use it.
- Storing peanut sauce. This peanut sauce is seriously delicious. If you have any leftover, store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. It also goes great on noodles for a quick 15-minute meal.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wrap your tofu in paper towel, or a clean dishcloth and place a heavy can on top, leave it like this for 10 minutes to draw out extra moisture
- Meanwhile, set up your dredging station. Grab 3 shallow bowls, in the first combine coconut, sesame seeds and panko, in the second add soy milk and in the third corn starch, season each with salt and gently mix.
- When the tofu is dry, cut the block in half lengthwise, then several times in the opposite direction to create strips. Dip each first in corn starch, then in soy milk (shaking off excess as you go), and finally in the coconut mixture, taking time to press on the breadcrumb mixture so it gets a thick, even coating.
- Place the strips on the lined baking sheet and drizzle generously with a neutral oil. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, flipping half way.
- While the tofu bakes, make the peanut sauce! In a medium bowl, add 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp sambal, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tbsp rice vinegar. Whisk until smooth. Serve the tofu on a bed of jasmine rice with steamed broccoli with a drizzle of the peanut sauce, topped with cilantro, peanuts and a squeeze of lime.