Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok Steamed Collards and Quinoa
I’ve been thinking recently about the five flavors that many thai dishes revolve around: hot, sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. I wasn’t necessarily looking to create a thai dish, but a dish that balances those five flavors without being overly complicated. I’m really pleased with the result; tofu so easy to prepare you won’t mind whipping it up after work. And this recipe also has no added fat! It certainly has a good deal of sugar and salt, but hey, old habits die hard.
If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you’ll probably realize that this recipe falls within the basic equation for my favorite meals: flavorful tofu + dark leafy green + grain/rice/pasta base. I love this combination because it’s easy and super customizable depending on what you have on hand. I use collards greens and quinoa in this recipe, but feel free to use spinach, kale, mustard greens, chard, arugula, chinese broccoli, cabbage… whatever for the greens, and wheat pasta, rice, millet, rice noodles, barley, orzo etc. for the base.
A sauce can make or break a dish. This sauce is easily whisked together from a few simple ingredients. It’s super duper flavorful, and added to a smoking hot pan full of tofu, it turns into a delicious glaze. I think you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to create a restaurant quality glaze at home. The glaze, combined with the greens, creates the five flavors I was blabbering about:
Hot: Red Chili Flakes
Sweet: Sugar
Salty: Tamari
Sour: Lime Juice
Bitter: Collard Greens
Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok Steamed Collards and Quinoa
Serves 2-3
1 Block Tofu, extra firm, 14 oz
Sweet Chili Lime Sauce
3 Tbs Sugar
3 Tbs Reduced Sodium Tamari (or soy sauce)
1 3/4 Tbs Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 Zest of the Lime
1/2 tsp Red Chili Flakes (or 1-2 fresh hot chilies, minced)
1 Clove Garlic, pressed, optional
1/4 tsp Salt
4 Mint Leaves, chiffonaded
Quinoa*
3/4 Cup Quinoa, rubbed/rinsed in cool water, drained
1/2 Zest Lime
2 Bruised Cardamom Pods, optional
1 Tiny Stick of Cinnamon (a broken piece of a larger stick), optional
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/3 Cup Water
*Other options: For brown rice, adjust water to 1 1/2 cups, for medium/long grain rice, water measurement is the same. Noodles can be boiled, drained, and given a light splash of soy sauce and lime juice for some background flavor. The tofu is very flavorful, so whatever base you choose, it needs only subtle additions, if any at all.
Wok Steamed Collards
1 Bunch Collard Greens, middle veins removed, washed
2-3 Tbs Water
1 Pinch Salt
1 tsp Lime Juice
Directions
Combine all the ingredients for the quinoa in a pot that has a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, then turn off heat. Do not open lid. Let steam for 10 minutes before serving.
Prepare the sweet chili lime sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together until the sugar and salt is dissolved.
Drain tofu and cut it into small triangles. I slice the block into 8 rectangles, then each rectangle in half to make two squares per rectangle. I cut each square diagonally to make four triangles per square. Tofu geometry is my favorite kind of math! You can cut the tofu however you please, but a thinner, smaller shape will work best for this method.
Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. A 10″ skillet will fit all the tofu, so if you’re using a smaller skillet, you’ll need to do this in batches. In order to properly “dry fry” the tofu, you’ll need a pan the tofu won’t stick to even without any oil.
Spread the tofu out in one layer in the pan. Using a spatula, press the tofu. The liquid will squeeze out and boil away, and the tofu will begin to turn golden. The more water that evaporates, the sturdier the tofu will be, so be gentle at first to prevent the tofu from breaking up. After several minutes, flip the tofu over and press the other side. After about 10 minutes of dry frying, you can turn off the heat and set the tofu aside for finishing later, or proceed to adding the sauce. (You might want to set the tofu aside before finishing in order to to prepare the collards, below.)
To finish the tofu, bring the pan back up to temperature if it’s not already very hot. You want to heat the pan and the tofu over high heat, making sure the tofu is hot all the way through. Add the sauce and stir to coat the tofu. Turn off the heat. The sauce will bubble up, reduce, and form a glaze. If it isn’t bubbling up and forming a glaze, turn the heat back on high and cook until the glaze is.. well.. glaze-y.
Stack the collard leaves on top of each other, 3-4 at a time, and roll. Slice the roll in 3/4 inch segments. Run your knife through the chopped collards to make smaller pieces, then add them to a wok with the water, lime juice and salt. Cover with any lid that will contain the collards and cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes until the collards are steamed and tender.
For plating, arrange the collards atop of a bed of quinoa. Add tofu over the top, drizzling any leftover sauce over the dish. Garnish with lime slices and mint leaves. Serve.
“Tofu geometry”, I love it. I’m still trying to picture the first 8 rectangles though… for some reason (I think I got a C in Geometry), I can’t see that many rectangles from one block of tofu, and the last time I tried to cut triangles I failed miserably. These photos do help though, so thanks for that.
I’m really anxious to try the “dry frying” method. This recipe looks and sounds really good – I look forward to trying it – thanks!
Hey Gabrielle! This is a photo from another recipe that shows the first 8 rectangles. To get 8, place the block of tofu in front of you, so the long sides form the top and bottom. Cut the tofu in half, vertically, to make two pieces. Then cut each half in half (four pieces now), and then each piece in half again for 8 total pieces. Gosh, this is so much harder to explain than it would be to show. If only I had taken extra photos!
Oh Lauren, that looks good. I’ve got everything for it right now (chard for collards) and think I may have just figured out what to have for lunch. Thanks.
PS–Is that a moleskin grid notebook I see? The best.
Gorgeous as always. I must try this soon.
This looks wonderful! I am drooling right now…
this sounds amazing!!! i can’t wait to make it.
I was looking for something for dinner and this looks perfect!! And of course everything is gorgeous, as usual.
Tofu and lime make me drool every single time!
Oh my goodness, this looks amazing! I sincerely hope you have another cookbook deal in the works, because you have so much to share! Seriously! And your pictures are amazing! The world needs Vegan Yum Yum the cookbook!
Oooh, I’m all over those collards and quinoa!! Yum!!
How lovely!
GLORIOUS
Beautiful and detailed instructions as usual! Thanks so much.
Wow, the tofu looks fabulous. I especially like how it was captured in the sizzling pan photo.
I just made this and it was incredible. Without a doubt the best tofu I’ve ever made. And it was low-fat and easy! Thanks!
I can’t wait to make this either! I love recipes where the sauce is so good that you can get away with cooking tofu without fat! My standard meal equation is really similar to yours: whole grains + vegetables + protein source. All I need is some mint, and I’m in business to eat this yumminess. Thanks for sharing. :)
I made this for dinner tonight and it was super. The only thing I did different was that I used Thai Lime leaves instead of the lime zest, if you make them again you should try it, things came out very Thai.
I LOVE that tofu method. It makes so much sense and then the ‘fu soaked up the sauce and just turned out perfect.
Mmmm, I had this for dinner tonight. So good. Everyone gobbled it up though, so no leftovers tomorrow. =(
Definitely a hit, and easy to shop for.
Gorgeous tofu. Yes, you made your tofu really symmetrical indeed, adding to the beauty of this dish.
I am so making this! Thanks for the recipe and beautiful pictures!
I made this last night for dinner, it was the first time I’d ever cooked tofu for my omni mom. She was so skeptical, but she loved it and even asked for seconds! Thanks for the great recipe!
Yep, this is what I’m making for dinner.
How have I lived this long without your blog? Clearly written steps and gorgeous photos.
This looks amazing! Is there an easy way to print just the recipe?
I made this last night with my husband and it was excellent! I substituted fresh cilantro for the mint, and had toasted almond pilaf on hand instead of quinoa. I wasn’t very good at dry frying the tofu- this was my first time using this technique and I think i should have used a different pan.
Thank you for the recipie! It was delicious!
I love your blog and I finally made something from it. This dish was so good! Thank you!
We made this last night for dinner as well. It was amazingly good. The sauces you put together are great!
Yum Yum indeed! I made the tofu part of this recipe last night, and it was delicious. Best of all, it was easy and quick. I made it without the sugar because I’m doing South Beach, and that resulted in a less glaze-y sauce consistency. It also resulted in a lack of sweetness that I think this sauce needs. Next time, I might try adding just a bit of agave nectar or Splenda; I don’t think those would help form the glaze consistency, but they would add the necessary sweetness. Thank you SO MUCH for posting this great recipe! Love your blog.
How creative using the collards for bitter…I would have never though of that. Although their taste is often described as bitter, they don’t seem bitter to me…but I think my taste buds are all whack. That looks lovely!
This is exactly the type of recipe I felt like having soon! Thank you for the deliciousness and the beautiful pictures, the website is gorgeous!
That looks lovely! I am hungry looking at it. I’m going to try this out for tomorrow’s dinner. Your blog is one of my favorites to read! :) I love all of your recipes, they are clear, easy to follow, and absolutely delicious. Keep it up! :D
This sounds lovely. I have recently started makeing my own tofu and am always wanting more ways to cook it.
As always a perfect post – well written and with stunning photos.
Your photos are amazing!!! What’s your secret?
Thank you for the recipe! I made the tofu for dinner last night (and am having leftovers for lunch right now) and it’s delicious! Definitely a new staple.
Made this today, for my lunch. It was delish!! Watching the glaze bubble up madly was treat enough! I subbed 2 tbsp orange juice and only used 2 teaspoons of sugar for the sweetness, and it was just right! Tofu was lovely, and perfectly paired with collards. Yum yum! Thanks.
I am making this tonight! I just got my first share from my CSA and it has collards. YUM! mix that with my current favorite grain quinoa, and I am a happy girl. I love your blog, I to am from MA.
Lolo my boyfriend and I made the whole meal last night (it worked out fantasticly, as we had some collards that we needed to use soon!), and it was FANTASTIC. It is now a tie between our favorite tofu meals – this, or your sweet and sour tofu. :) The S&S has become a staple in our house, and I’m sure this will too. I’ve fallen in love with collard greens and this simple yet tasty recipe really showcased how wonderful they are. And thanks for showing me how to cook tofu without oil!!
i just made this and it’s fantastic! i used bok choy instead of collards, and agave nectar instead of sugar. i think my dry-frying technique could use a little work, though, as my tofu wasn’t nearly as crispy good as yours looks. and, as always, one side came out better than the other. but i’m glad i can cook tofu without oil now! and i love the hint of cardamom in the quinoa.
I cannot believe how gorgeous your photos are. This dish looks absolutely fantastic! Especially because I am starving…
Congratulations on your Bloggy Award, too! How exciting!
Oh! That looks fabulous. I just had quinoa today via Dreena Burton’s Quinoa Spring Salad from Vive le Vegan-good stuff.
I noticed you have my old blog listed in your blogroll–A Sweet and Sour Life. Do you mind changing it to my new blog: http://kindkitchen.wordpress.com/?. Thanks!! :]
Thanks for the chili lime sauce recipe! I find it’s quite delicious on my weekly “leftover veggies and tofu stirfry” :)
I was perusing vegan food blogs and found yours … glad I did. This recipe and photos look wonderful. Yum? definitely! Thank you.
I tried this recipe this weekend and it turned out tasty but not glazy. Although the tofu was crisp and golden, the glaze mix sort of seeped in rather than glazing the top. It was still delicious and I plan on trying it again but before I do, did the glaze not form because perhaps the pan was not hot enough? I added it right after the tofu was done and never turned off the heat.
I made this for my husband over the weekend, and I’m pretty sure that we weren’t already married, he would have proposed again. Thanks much!
I’m not vegan but I LOVE TOFU so I decided to try this recipe out and it was sooo good. However, I think I’ll use less sugar next time (personal preference).
I’d never cooked tofu before (love to eat it, just never tried making it myself), and it was so easy! Your directions were perfectly clearn, and the photos really helped! We used spinach instead of collards (hubby hates collards) and sprinkled some chopped unsalted peanuts on top for a little crunch–awesome recipe! Thanks!
I made this tonight and it was great! I have never eaten collard greens before and they were really tasty. I had to improvise because my man doesn’t like mint in warm dishes and used basil instead and it was still awesome. This will definetly be something that I make again and again!
I just made this. The sauce was divine. I had to add oil to fry the tofu, though. Apparently, my cast iron pan wasn’t as well seasoned as I assumed. Also, I didn’t have mint, so I did without it.
I’m not altogether sure I got a glaze, but the sauce sure was good. I also really enjoyed the collard greens.