Thai Basil Tofu

Here's a tasty dish, a special surprise for those who say they don't like tofu. This dish plays to tofu's strength as a magic sponge that takes on all kinds of flavours here, the Far East. It's mega tasty, simple and quick. 

For all vegans, tofu is a must as it is a vital brick in the good nutrition wall. It is one of the only so-called complete proteins that vegans can eat. So learning to make it super tasty is pretty damn important.

In Japan, there is so much delicious tofu to eat stand alone or in sauces. However, for those of us who live where tofu is a recent import, we mostly have wobbly soft silken tofu, which is great blitzed in desserts or served cold doused with a gingery soya dressing firm tofu which is what is used when pieces of tofu are required. 

A note here, firm tofu needs draining really well before using. I used to wrap tofu blocks in paper towels and squeeze gently; now, I put the block into a nut bag and just squeeze until no more water comes out.

The dish below is quick, and although it's not pretending to be real Thai, boy, it has the flavours of that region. If I can't get Thai basil, a mix of ordinary basil and tarragon is an interesting aniseed-y alternative.

I serve this with Japanese sticky rice, and it's flavoured with the thick sweet soya sauce of Indonesia, kecap manis.

Give it a go.

Ingredients

Serves 2

For the sauce

7tbs low salt soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbs fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped

6 good pinches chilli flakes

2tbs rice wine vinegar

3tbs kecap manis or more to taste or vegan Thai fish sauce

To garnish

4/5 spring onions, outer skin removed and chopped in small rings

Small bunch coriander finely chopped/optional

300g firm tofu, squeezed dry in a nut bag or by hand

3tbs avocado oil or other frying oil

1 shallot

400g of at least 2 of the following - red & yellow peppers, french beans, mange tout, courgettes or frozen peas defrosted

1 good bunch of Thai basil, or, if unavailable, ordinary basil and tarragon leaves

Method

1.     Take the dry tofu and crumble it into big crumb-like pieces with your hands. Put it to one side.

2.     Peel, halve and finely slice the shallot.

3.     Cut up the chosen veg into big dice or small lengths. Roughly chop or tear the basil.

4.     Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.

5.     Heat the oil in a large sauté or deep sided frying pan. Add the shallot and the other veg except for the peas and fry gently until soft and beginning to caramelise.

6.     Add the crumbled tofu and the peas and stir well.

7.     Add the sauce and stir gently to combine. Allow to simmer very softly for a couple of minutes to combine the flavours and heat through.

8.     Serve with sticky rice sprinkled with spring onion pieces and coriander.

9.     Dig in folks.