Are you looking for a healthy and tasty weeknight meal that comes together in under 30 minutes? Try this Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry recipe.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Teriyaki Tofu
- Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry
This Teriyaki Tofu swaps out the traditional meat for tofu, making it a perfect choice for vegetarians, vegans , or anyone looking to incorporate more plant-based protein into their diet.
The magic of stir fry lies in the incredible balance of flavours: the salty umami of the teriyaki and soy sauce, the subtle kick of chilli, and, of course, the distinct, taste and aroma of fresh Kaffir lime leaves and basil. The dish is inspired by the classic Thai dish Pad Krapow.
Why You’ll Love This Tofu Recipe
- Quick and Easy: From start to finish, this dish is ready in 30 minutes.
- Customizable: Adjust the spice level to your liking. Feel free to add other vegetables like bell peppers, green beans, or mushrooms.
- Healthy and Nutritious: Tofu is an excellent source of plant-based protein.
- Vegan and Gluten Free: It is a vegan main course with no gluten or added sugar. Total win win for healthy eaters!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Firm Tofu , pressed and crumbled. I highly recommend crumbling it rather than chopping or grating it.
- Sauce is a mix of teriyaki sauce, dark soy sauce (gf), sweet chilli sauce, and water/ stock .
- Kaffir Lime Leaves and Basil takes this teriyaki tofu up a notch.
- Potato Starch to thicken the sauce and give it a luscious consistency.
- Sesame Oil gives a nutty, sweet flavour to the stir fry.
- For Stir Fry you need garlic, ginger, onion, salt, pepper, and green onion.
- White Sesame Seeds or crushed peanuts for the crunch.
How To Make Teriyaki Tofu
1. Prepare the Tofu:
- First to remove excess water from tofu.
- Wrap the block of tofu in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and place something heavy on top (like a cast iron skillet or a few cookbooks) for at least 15 minutes. Once pressed, crumble the tofu to get that minced texture.
2. Fry the Tofu:
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the crumbled tofu in a single layer, season it with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu is slight brown. This usually takes about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add ginger, garlic, onion, and saute for a minute.
3. Mix the Sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, chilli sauce, chilli flakes, kaffir lime, starch, and water/ stock .
4. Bring It All Together:
- Pour the prepared sauce into the pan and let it bubble and thicken slightly, about 1 minute.
- Turn off the heat and immediately add the fresh Thai basil leaves and green onion. Stir gently until the basil has just wilted.
Serve Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry with jasmine rice, quinoa, or shirataki rice. To make a complete bowl meal, serve it with add ons like a drizzle of chilli oil , cucumber salad or kimchi , shredded carrot, steamed edamame, garlicky broccoli , or stir fried vegetables .
More Ways To Eat Tofu
- Crispy Tofu
- Tofu Palak Paneer
- Quinoa Fried Rice
- Chinese Silken Tofu
- Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredients
- ▢ 200 gram firm tofu
- ▢ ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper or to taste
- ▢ 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ▢ ½ tablespoon minced ginger
- ▢ 1 small onion, finely chopped
- ▢ 2 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
- ▢ 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- ▢ 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
- ▢ 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- ▢ 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
- ▢ 1 tablespoon corn starch or potato starch
- ▢ 1 Cup water or vegetable stock
- ▢ 2 sprigs green onion, finely chopped
- ▢ handful of Thai Basil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
Instructions
- First to remove excess water from tofu. Wrap the block of tofu in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and place something heavy on top (like a cast iron skillet or a few cookbooks) for at least 15 minutes. Once pressed, crumble the tofu to get that minced texture.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the crumbled tofu in a single layer, season it with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu is slight brown. This usually takes about 2 – 3 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, onion, and saute for a minute.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, chilli sauce, chilli flakes, kaffir lime, starch, and water/ stock .
- Pour the prepared sauce into the pan and let it bubble and thicken slightly, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and immediately add the fresh Thai basil leaves and green onion. Stir gently until the basil has just wilted.
- Serve Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry with jasmine rice, quinoa, or shirataki rice.
Recipe Notes:
- Can I skip adding Kaffir Lime? It is highly recommended. If not available, add lemon grass stem or lime zest.
- Starch thickens the sauce. But it does nothing for the taste. So if you are not peculiar about the consistency of the sauce, skip adding starch.
- Tofu does not require lot of cooking. So don’t simmer the sauce or saute the tofu for way too long. It will become chewy.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry
Equipment
- Chinese Wok
Ingredients
- 200 gram firm tofu
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon corn starch or potato starch
- 1 Cup water or vegetable stock
- 2 sprigs green onion, finely chopped
- handful of Thai Basil
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
Instructions
- First to remove excess water from tofu. Wrap the block of tofu in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and place something heavy on top (like a cast iron skillet or a few cookbooks) for at least 15 minutes. Once pressed, crumble the tofu to get that minced texture.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the crumbled tofu in a single layer, season it with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu is slight brown. This usually takes about 2 – 3 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, onion, and saute for a minute.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, chilli sauce, chilli flakes, kaffir lime, starch, and water/ stock .
- Pour the prepared sauce into the pan and let it bubble and thicken slightly, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and immediately add the fresh Thai basil leaves and green onion. Stir gently until the basil has just wilted.
- Serve Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry with jasmine rice, quinoa, or shirataki rice.
Video
Notes
- Can I skip adding Kaffir Lime? It is highly recommended. If not available, add lemon grass stem or lime zest.
- Starch thickens the sauce. But it does nothing for the taste. So if you are not peculiar about the consistency of the sauce, skip adding starch.
- Tofu does not require lot of cooking. So don’t simmer the sauce or saute the tofu for way too long. It will become chewy.
Nutrition
If you are a fan of delicious and fiery Indian flavours, get ready to meet your new favourite snack: Grilled Thecha Paneer.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
- What is Thecha?
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Thecha Paneer
- My Tried and True Tips
- Grilled Thecha Paneer Recipe
This dish takes the humble paneer and transforms it into a flavour-packed, spicy, and smoky starter. It’s a perfect appetizer for a barbecue, a quick evening snack, or even a protein-rich side dish for your main meal.
What is Thecha?
Thecha is a rustic, spicy, and coarse Maharashtrian condiment, traditionally made by pounding green chilies, garlic, peanuts, and salt in a mortar and pestle. The “thecha” itself refers to the act of crushing, which is exactly how this paste gets its signature texture and robust flavor. Unlike a smooth chutney, the chunky texture of thecha (very similar to pesto ) is what makes it so special.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Indian Paneer cut into cubes or use tofu for a vegan version. Or you can use homemade masala paneer for an extra layer of flavour.
- Gram Flour (besan) makes it easy to bind the marinade so that it sticks to the paneer.
- Peanut or Sesame Oil to grill the paneer.
- For the Thecha , you need peanuts (skinned), garlic, green chilli, coriander leaves and stems, cumin, and rock salt.
- Lime Juice brings all the flavours together.
How To Make Thecha Paneer
1)Prepare the Thecha:
- In a pan, dry roast the green chilies, garlic, peanuts, and cumin seeds, for 2 – 3 minutes or until they are fragrant. Let the mixture cool slightly.
- In a mortar and pestle (or a grinder), combine the roasted ingredients with fresh coriander and salt. Pound or pulse until you have a coarse, rustic paste.
- Add a squeeze of lime juice, gram flour, and sesame oil. Mix well.
2)Marinate the paneer:
- Cut block of paneer into square pieces with half inch of thickness.
- Take a tablespoon of thecha and gently press it around the paneer, nsuring each cube is evenly coated.
- For a deeper flavour, you can marinate it in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
3)Grill the paneer:
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush or spray the pan with oil.
- Place the marinated paneer cubes on the grill pan or grates.
- Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until you see beautiful grill marks and the paneer is slightly golden and cooked through. Be gentle when flipping the paneer to keep the pieces intact.
Once the paneer is grilled to perfection, transfer it to a serving plate.
Thecha Paneer is good on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with a cool and refreshing Garlic Yogurt Sauce . You can serve it alongside sliced onions and a squeeze of fresh lemon. For a more substantial meal, wrap it in a warm roti or naan for a spicy paneer roll or serve it in a meal bowl.
My Tried and True Tips
- Paneer Quality: Use firm or extra-firm paneer. Softer varieties may crumble on the grill. If you’re using store-bought paneer, soak it in warm water for 10-15 minutes before cutting to make it soft and tender.
- Preventing Sticking: The key to grilling paneer without it sticking is to ensure your grill pan or grates are properly preheated and lightly oiled. You can also brush a little oil on the paneer cubes themselves before placing them on the grill. A well-seasoned cast-iron pan is also a great option.
- Thecha Texture: The authentic flavor of thecha comes from its coarse texture. Using a mortar and pestle is ideal, otherwise use a food processor with blade attachment to get a coarse texture.
More Paneer Recipes You’ll Love
- Masala Grilled Paneer
- Achari Paneer Tikka
- Corn Paneer Cutlet
Get my 15+ Best Paneer Recipes here
Ingredients
- ▢ 200 gram paneer, cut into cubes
- ▢ ½ Cup peanuts (skinned)
- ▢ 6 garlic cloves
- ▢ 2 green chilli
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
- ▢ handful of fresh coriander leaves
- ▢ 1 tablespoon gram flour (besan)
- ▢ 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- ▢ 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
- In a pan, dry roast the green chilies, garlic, peanuts, and cumin seeds, for 2 – 3 minutes or until they are fragrant. Let the mixture cool slightly.
- In a mortar and pestle (or a grinder), combine the roasted ingredients with fresh coriander and salt. Pound or pulse until you have a coarse, rustic paste. Add a squeeze of lime juice, gram flour, and sesame oil. Mix well.
- Cut block of paneer into square pieces with half inch of thickness. Take a tablespoon of thecha and gently press it around the paneer, nsuring each cube is evenly coated.
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush or spray the pan with oil. Place the marinated paneer cubes on the grill pan or grates.
- Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until you see beautiful grill marks and the paneer is slightly golden and cooked through. Be gentle when flipping the paneer to keep the pieces intact.
- Once the paneer is grilled to perfection, transfer it to a serving plate. Serve warm with dip of your choice.
Recipe Notes:
- Controlling the Heat: Green chilies can vary in spiciness. Start with a smaller number and taste as you go. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away!
- Thecha Recipe is not about carefully measured ingredients. It’s all about how you like it – more garlicky, more spicy or more peanuty.
- For a deeper flavour, you can marinate paneer in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
