Crispy Tofu with toasted Cashews and Blistered Peas is one of the easiest and most delicious vegan recipes for dinner that you can make in a jiffy. I like to serve this with rice and some crispy green beans or crispy broccoli.
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What is Tofu?
Tofu is basically soybean curd which is processed and pressed into a block. Soybeans are ground with water, heated, coagulated, and then essential minerals like calcium and magnesium salt. Then it is pressed and sold in the form of tofu. It is predominately popular in the East Asian region. But, these days people are shifting towards plant-based diets and therefore Tofu has become an important part of their diet.
Vegan Tofu recipe for dinner
I love making Tofu for dinner. In the past, I have made quite a few recipes with Tofu. Starting from Tofu Tikka Masala to Vegan Tofu Teriyaki Stir-Fry or Crispy Honey Garlic Tofu Topped With Toasted Sesame Seeds or Orange Tofu (in Air Fryer) or Chinese Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry and many more.
Tofu is rich is an excellent source of plant-based protein and should definitely be a part of your diet. If you are vegan then you probably have made tofu a part of your weekly dinner rotation.
In my home, we make tofu recipes all the time. Recipes like: "Cheesy" Tofu Scramble, Healthy Quinoa Fried "Rice" with Crispy Tofu, Honey Mustard Tofu Stir-Fry Recipe, Grilled Tofu Kabobs are some of my favorite tofu recipes.
But, this one was slightly different. It was a recipe that made me fall in love with itself. There were plenty of reasons why I liked this recipe. And, I am sure you would agree with me on each and every one of them.
Why You'll love this recipe
- Crispy Tofu - I am sure you must have noticed this. The moment we sear tofu the taste improves drastically. right? Well, in this recipe we use crispy tofu.
- Toasted Cashews - Toasted Cashews have a nutty taste that makes this recipe taste so good.
- Coconut milk - I love recipes that uses coconut milk. It's one of my favorite ingredients. In this recipe coconut milk adds a sweet nuttiness to the sauce making it pair really well with crispy tofu.
- Blistered Snap Peas - Snap peas are something that brightens up the dish and adds an element of bite to the recipe.
Basically, this has got everything that you'll love. There are peas, there is crispy tofu. There are toasted cashews. There is coconut milk. Couldn't ask for anything more!
Ingredients
Here is a clear snap of the Ingredients that you'll need for this recipe
- Extra Firm Tofu - Place tofu in between two paper towels. Press it down using a heavy can. Allow the paper towels to soak moisture for 30-minutes, then remove the paper towel and cut them into cubes. I like to cut them into large cubes.
- Canola Oil - Since there is a lot of searing involved in this recipe, therefore we'll need canola oil.
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper - The basic seasoning to season our tofu and our peas
- Snap Peas - Fresh snap peas adds crunch to the dish.
- Grated ginger - Ginger adds a nutty as well as an earthy tone to the dish.
- Grated garlic - Garlic adds a kick to the dish.
- Toasted cashews - toasted cashews are so much better than raw cashews. I like to toast them on my own. Just place them in a hot skillet and stir for 2-4 minutes and they'll be ready for use.
- Honey- you can replace honey with agave or brown sugar or molasses.
- Coconut Milk - Coconut milk is an essential part of the sauce. Makes the sauce nutty and flavorful.
- Red pepper flakes
- rice wine vinegar
- Soy Sauce
- Scallions
- Cilantro
See the recipe card for quantity and check out the video for a visual.
How to make crispy tofu with blistered snap peas
Step 1: Sear tofu until brown on both sides
Heat a skillet with canola oil. Add tofu and season with salt and pepper. Sear both sides until browned and crispy. This usually takes 5-6 minutes. Once done take it out and lay them on a paper towel.
Step 2: Sear scallions and snap peas
In the same pan add some more oil. Add scallions and snap peas followed by rice wine vinegar, salt, and pepper, and a dash of red pepper flakes (only if you want). Let them sit in the hot oil for 2-minutes. Then toss and sear until they become blistered.
Step 3: Make the Sauce
In a separate skillet, heat some canola oil. Add minced garlic and grated ginger. Sauté for 30-seconds until aromatic. Pour coconut milk, honey, and Soy Sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper (adjust as per taste) and stir well until it comes to a slow boil. If you want to thicken the sauce you can make a cornstarch slurry with 3 tablespoons cold water and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Stir well and pour it into the sauce. Add crispy tofu and toasted cashews along with blistered snap peas and scallions. Stir lightly and serve over rice.
Variations and Substitutions
- Tempeh - Instead of Tofu you can use Tempeh to make the exact same recipe.
- Mushrooms - Just like tofu and tempeh this recipe can be made with Mushrooms as well.
- Toasted Almonds - Almonds would make a good alternative to cashews.
- Brown Sugar or Molasses - Honey can be easily replaced with Brown Sugar and Molasses.
- Cider vinegar - instead of rice wine vinegar you can also use apple cider vinegar.
- Vegetable Oil - Instead of canola oil you can use any other vegetable oil that you like.
Tips
- In this recipe we are going to blister our tofu and snap peas. Which means you allow the pan to get hot with canola oil or any other vegetable oil. Then you add tofu and don't toss or turn for 2-minutes. This creates a crispy golden brown coating on one side. That's how we can blister our ingredients.
- I learnt this trick from a cooking show. Once your tofu turns golden brown, immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice-cold water. This will prevent them from further cooking making them stay crispier. This step is called "Shocking" and that's how you prevent your crispy tofu from becoming chewy.
Storage
You can store this dish in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. I don't recommend freezing this. But, before refrigerating make sure the food comes down to normal temperature.
if you are making this recipe, then please leave a rating below. Also, snap it and share it on Instagram with #recipemagik.
Crispy Tofu with toasted Cashews and Blistered Peas
INGREDIENTS
- 1 block extra firm tofu drained and cut into cubes
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large scallions trimmed and thinly sliced
- ½ cup snap peas trimmed
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and grated
- 1 can unsweetened full fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ cup toasted cashews
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped (for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon canola oil. Once the oil shimmers add extra firm tofu cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Do not touch them for 2-minutes. Let them get crispy and golden brown on one side. After 2-minutes toss lighty and sear until both sides becomes golden brown and crispy. This usually takes 5-minutes on medium-low heat. Once done, take them out and arrange them in a plate lined with paper-towel.
- In the same pan heat 1 tablespoon canola oil. As the oil shimmers, add scallions, snap peas, rice wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Season lightly with salt and pepper as per taste. Sear until the onions turn crispy and the peas become blistered. This takes at least 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
- In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add minced garlic and grated ginger. Sauté for 30-45 seconds until they become aromatic. Add coconut milk, honey, and soy sauce. Stir lightly using a spatula. Simmer and let it come to a slow boil. Add toasted cashews and crispy tofu along with blistered peas and scallions. Toss lightly.Check the taste. If it needs more seasoning then adjust accordingly. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve over rice.
Notes
Nutrition
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