Tofu Stir Fry

This is a complete dish in itself, proteins, vegetables and with a side of brown rice, healthy carbs. I like this a lot. Its quick, easy and if you have been following my blog, then quick and easy is a theme in most of my posts. I try to find a variety of dishes which I can cook during the week which are flavorful but quick to make. I end up making tofu stir fry at least once in 10 days if not once a week and always keep a packet of tofu in my fridge.


I experiment with different ingredients for sauces, here's one of the versions. Its a spicy sauce.



Ingredients
For the sauce
2 tsp oil - canola or vegetable or sesame
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 tbsp corn flour
3/4 - 1 cup water
red chilli flakes - to taste
1 tsp vinegar (white/ rice)
1/2 cup orange juice or alternately 1 freshly squeezed orange

For the stir fry
2 tsp oil to fry tofu
2 tsp oil for the stir fry
1 packet extra firm tofu - chop this into bite sized cubes
5-6 scallions - diced, use the onion and the greens
1/2 red/yellow/orange bell pepper (capsicum) - finely diced
1 shredded carrot
1 cup spinach leaves
1 cup diced celery
ground peanuts for garnish



Method
For the sauce, make a slurry of the corn flour and water. To this add the soy sauce and vinegar. Heat the oil, to this add garlic. Cook the garlic without burning it. This process generally takes a few seconds depending on how hot the oil is. Add the slurry prepared earlier to this and stir. Add the orange juice and the red chilli flakes. My husband prefers a spicy sauce, so I generally add a generous amount of flakes. Cook this for a few minutes till the sauce becomes transparent. This is the indication that the sauce is cooked through.

In another pan, heat the oil. To this add the tofu. Stir this around and let the tofu sides brown a little. Cook it depending on how you like your tofu. See tips for suggestions. Remove the tofu and set aside. Heat the oil reserved for the stir fry. Turn the heat to high. To this add the celery, let it cook for a couple of minutes. To this add the carrots and bell peppers. Cook this for another couple of minutes. Add the scallions, cook for another minute and add the spinach. Cook the spinach till the leaves wilt. Finally add the tofu to this vegetable mixture. Add this to the sauce you cooked previously. Or pour the sauce into this mixture. Let the stir fry cook with the sauce for a minute and serve. Garnish with the ground peanuts. You have a healthy, tasty meal ready to eat.

Tips
If you are working with tofu for the first time and like its soft texture, let it turn golden brown. If you are not fond of soft textures, then you can let the sides cook for a longer time. This will make the tofu slightly chewy. Serve with a brown rice. You can use 3/4 cup to 1 cup water depending on the quantity of sauce you want. If you want a drier stir fry, use less water. Sesame oil has a strong flavor and smell. If you haven't cooked with it earlier, it takes a while getting used to it.