Teriyaki tofu with steamed vegetables

(serves 2-3)

Adapted from Just One Cookbook

More tofu exploration and this one was a good discovery - slightly different approach to pan frying tofu, giving a little crunch with the flour coating but still silky smooth on the inside. It is then coated a simple teriyaki sauce that thickens naturally from the coating. It has a bit of an agedashi tofu vibe, and I paired it with cold soba noodles in a simple dressing (inspired from our weekend venture to a local cafe - dining in for the first time in awhile!), but would also be great with rice for a standard teriyaki tofu rice bowl.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
450 g firm tofu
1 broccoli
1 large or 2 medium zucchini
1/4 to 1/3 cup corn starch or potato starch
1/2 tsp salt and white pepper
vegetable or canola oil
1 packet of bonito flakes, to garnish
1 stem of green shallot, finely chopped
pickled ginger, to garnish
To serve;
rice or soba noodles (200-300 g dried)

Sauce:
2 Tbsp sake
2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp brown sugar

Method
1. Thirty minutes prior to cooking, place the tofu between two paper towels and place it between two plates then put a heavy object on top to press and drain water from the tofu for 20 to 30 minutes. Discard the water.

2. Cut the broccoli and zucchini into bite-sized pieces and steam (in batches if needed). Cool and set aside in a serving dish.

3. To make the teriyaki sauce; combine the sake, mirin, soy sauce, ginger and sugar.
4. When the tofu is ready, place the corn starch, salt and pepper into a shallow plate and mix together. Cut the tofu into desired size (generally 1/2 inch thickness) then coat with starch mixture, shaking off any excess.
5. Heat a shallow pan on medium heat, add in a tablespoon of oil then place the tofu in and fry for approximately 5 minutes each side until golden brown. 

6. Add in the sauce and cook on low for another 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens, turning the tofu to ensure the sauce is even. Pour on top of the steamed vegetables and garnish with chopped shallots, bonito flakes and sliced ginger
7. If preparing soba noodles, place the noodles in a large pot of boiling water and cook according to the instructions (generally 3 to 5 minutes). Drain then toss in cold water and drain again. Dress with soba sauce, seaweed and sesame seasoning and shallots. 

Toddler version