[Recipe Post] Crispy Tofu Stirfry with Sweet & Hot Pineapple Sauce

Confession: in my “everyday” cooking I don’t often make my own stirfry sauce separately from the stirfry itself. Usually, for example, I’ll just add in spices, coconut aminos or tamari, some lime juice, and peanut butter (with a couple of splashes of plant mylk or water to thin as needed) as an on-the-fly peanut sauce, right into the wok with the veggies.

Since I was given a bottle of Just Juice organic pineapple juice to try, courtesy of Vista Magazine, I decided to play with making a sweet-and-hot type sauce, and serve it with another first for me – homemade crispy tofu.

Since this was an experiment for both the sauce and the tofu, I made them both separately – first the sauce, then the tofu, finally combining them in the final stirfry – so this recipe took a little longer start to finish than my normal ones do.

My only regret was not making more!

Sweet & Hot Pineapple Stirfry Sauce

• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp. Just Juice organic pineapple juice
• 1 Tbsp. arrowroot flour
• 2 Tbsp. coconut aminos/sauce
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne to taste
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat start bringing the 1 cup pineapple juice to a gentle simmer, about 5-7min, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 Tbsp. juice and arrowroot flour. Let stand about 2min.
3. Whisk the arrowroot mixture into the simmering juice. It should start to gel pretty quickly.
4. Add the remaining seasonings. Reduce heat and continue to whisk frequently, allowing it to reduce to desired thickness. Taste it as well and adjust spice and sweetness to your liking. (Note: it will thicken some more as it cools.)
5. Set aside to cool for storage or use immediately in your favourite stirfry.

Crispy Tofu

• 1/2 to 1 block (454g or 8 oz.) firm tofu, drained and pressed
• arrowroot flour
• coconut oil

Directions:

1. In a large skillet or frying pan, heat 1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil over medium-high.
2. After the tofu has been drained and pressed, cut it into 1/2″ cubes.
3. In a medium bowl, add roughly 1/4-1/2 cup arrowroot flour. Toss the tofu cubes in the arrowroot flour to lightly coat all sides of all cubes.
4. When the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes to the pan, gently separating the cubes from each other to keep them from sticking. This can be done in multiple batches, depending on the amount of tofu you need to cook and the size of your pan. (I did 1/2 block and my pan was full.)
5. Cook the pieces on all sides, using tongs, a fork, or a spatula to gently turn them as they start to brown.
6. Once the tofu pieces are all browned and crispy to your liking (about 5-7min), transfer them to a paper towel-lined tray or cutting board to rest before adding to your finished dish.

Sweet & Hot Crispy Tofu Stirfry

• coconut oil
• 1 bag (400-500g) frozen broccoli florets (or your favourite stirfry veggie mix)
• 1 batch Crispy Tofu
• 1 batch Pineapple Sauce (or to taste)

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, frying pan, or wok, add 1/2-1 Tbsp. coconut oil (I just reused the pan I cooked the tofu in while it was still hot and didn’t need to add more oil, since it still had enough tofu-cooking oil left in it).
2. When oil is hot, add frozen broccoli. Stirfry until bright green and hot through.
3. Add the crispy tofu and continue to stirfry 1-2min to reheat through.
4. Add the pineapple sauce and stir 1-2min to coat.
5. Serve as is or over rice or quinoa. Optional: top with sesame seeds, extra chili flakes, chopped green onion. Makes 2-4 servings, depending on how much tofu, broccoli/veggies, and sides you use.

Additional Tips

Save More Time: instead of making crispy tofu, try using a package of plain tempeh or smoked tofu, a can (400ml) of chickpeas, or your favourite ready-to-use strips/chunks of vegan chicken or pork alternative.

Too Sweet: omit the maple syrup; and/or try adding some lime juice or a little more coconut aminos to the sauce or the stirfry.

Who wants some??

I’d love to know if you give this recipe a try! Tag me on Instagram: @sara_rhn_loveplants and use hashtag: #LovePlantsForLife