Sweet & Spicy Tofu And Rice | Vegan

This is a paid collaboration with New Kenji Rice.

One of my favourite classic Chinese dishes has always been sweet and sour or Szechuan tofu. But since I can longer eat these dishes at most Chinese restaurants, I decided to improvise and try and make my own. So, after throwing some ingredients together, I finally came up with something that is a slight mixture of the two! With the sweetness from the maple syrup, saltiness from the soy sauce and the spice from the sriracha, I think I've made a pretty delicious dish. In fact, I'm craving it right now!

To make this meal even quicker, I have partnered with New Kenji Rice, using their microwavable sushi rice as the perfect base for the dish. This rice can be used in so many different ways, with all sorts of meals, however my favourite way to eat it is with any "saucy" kind of meal like curries or like this recipe!

Check out my previous recipes with New Kenji Rice:

- Vegan Spicy Orange "Chicken" 
- Easy Vegan Katsu Curry

- SWEET & SPICY TOFU - 

Serves: 1 - 2   Prep Time: 5 mins   Cook Time: 10 mins

You will need: 

- 1/4 - 1/2 block of tofu, drained and pressed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar or rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1/4 tub new Kenji Rice
- parsley, optional
- sesame seeds, optional
- serve with broccoli and peas, optional

Method:

1. Add the garlic and oil to a large frying pan / wok and allow the garlic to become fragrant, this should take around 30 seconds. Cut the tofu into small equal chunks and place them in the frying pan, keeping them separated. Move the tofu chunks around every now and then, but be careful as they may crumble.

2. Allow the tofu to cook for around 8 minutes before setting aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, cider vinegar, soy sauce, tomato puree and sriracha. You can adjust the flavours if you want the dish to be spicier or sweeter, but I found these measurements to be just right.

4. Pour the sauce into the frying pan and allow to it to heat up for a few seconds before pouring in the water. Stir the water into the sauce followed by the cornstarch. Keep stirring until the sauce begins to thicken.

5. While the sauce is heating up, add the tofu back into the pan to warm through again, allowing it to marinade in the sauce slightly as well.

6. Now time to heat up the New Kenji Rice. Remove the outer sleeve and pour in a tiny bit of water to the tub of rice, peeling the cover off slightly. Place in the microwave for 2 minutes and you're done! For one person I would serve up 1/4 of the tub, but use as much or as little as you like.

7. Serve up the rice into a bowl and pour the sweet and spicy tofu on top! Serve alongside some broccoli and peas, or alone if you prefer and season with some parsley and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

You can find New Kenji Rice in Waitrose or Tesco, or online at Ocado.

Do you prefer sweet or spicy food?

Love Always,

Shannon x