This Thai Tofu Vegetable Stir-Fry is easy to make and brimming with flavor! The stir-fry sauce is what makes this dish sing - a combination of coconut milk, soy sauce, lime, and chili. The recipe is also quite flexible, allowing you to add your own choice of vegetables depending on what you have on hand, or what is readily available where you live. Add a final topping of fresh basil and chili, and you have an authentic Thai vegan dish that's gourmet good! (Note: This dish can easily be made gluten-free as well - just be sure to use wheat-free soy sauce instead of regular.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: SERVES 3-4 (with rice/noodles)
Ingredients:
- 1+1/2 to 2 cups firm tofu, cubed
- Marinade: 1/2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp. soy sauce*
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or purple onion
- 5-6 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
- 1-2 thumb-size pieces galangal OR ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces
- 1/2 to 1 small fresh red chili, sliced, OR 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
- 1 medium-size carrot, sliced
- 5-6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced, or left in halves or quarters
- 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 red pepper, sliced into strips
- generous handful fresh basil
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil or other vegetable oil
- STIR-FRY SAUCE:
- 2/3 cup coconut milk
- 3 Tbsp. good (strong) tasting vegetable stock (OR faux chicken stock)
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce*
- 3+1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1/3 to 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili (chili flakes)
- 2+1/2 tsp. brown sugar
Preparation:
- Place cubed tofu in a bowl and pour marinade over. Toss well to coat and set aside to marinate while you prepare your other ingredients.
- Combine all 'Stir-Fry Sauce' ingredients, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Taste-test the sauce, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweet and finally the rich taste of the coconut milk. Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too sweet or salty (note: it will be less salty when combined with the stir-fry).
- Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp. oil and swirl around, then add the marinated tofu. Stir-fry until lightly browned (2-3 minutes). If pan becomes dry, add a little stir-fry sauce, 1-2 Tbsp. at a time. Remove fried tofu from pan and set aside.
- Add another 1 Tbsp. oil then add the shallot/onion, garlic, ginger, and chili. Stir-fry 2 minutes, then add the carrot and mushrooms plus 3-4 Tbsp. of the stir-fry sauce. Stir-fry 2-3 minutes.
- Add the broccoli and red pepper plus up to 1/2 of remaining stir-fry sauce, enough to gently simmer vegetables in the sauce. (Note: this is a 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry - the sauce is meant to flavor the rice or noodles it is served with). Simmer until all the vegetables are cooked but still bright green with some crispness (2-3 minutes).
- Add the tofu back in. Also add more of the stir-fry sauce as desired.
- Remove from heat and do one last taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more fish or soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add another squeeze of lime juice. Add more sugar or chili if desired. Top with fresh basil and serve over Thai jasmine-scented rice (also good with noodles!). Also delicious with my Easy Thai Coconut Rice OR Easy Thai Sticky Rice. ENJOY!
*Be sure to use wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets.
