Baked Peanut Tofu

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.

Step 2

Prep the tofu. Slice the block of tofu lengthwise into four slabs; wrap them in a thin dish towel, then weigh them down with your heaviest cookbook(s). Press for 10 to 15 minutes (no more than 15 min). Alternatively, use a tofu press if you have one (but don’t slice the tofu into slabs first).

Step 3

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil for the broccolini and edamame.

Step 4

While the tofu presses, make the Peanut Sauce. In a bowl, combine the peanut butter, garlic, tamarind, lime zest, tamari or soy sauce, chili sauce, sugar, coriander, and cinnamon. Whisk well to combine.Taste and adjust to your preference, adding more tamari for extra savory saltiness, more sugar for sweetness, more tamarind or lime juice for tang, or more chili sauce for heat.

Step 5

Bake the tofu. Slice tofu into ½” to ¾” (~1.5 cm) cubes. In a large bowl, combine tofu with 1 ½ tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste, tossing to coat with a silicone spatula. Add the potato starch and gently toss to coat. Spread tofu out on the lined pan so they don’t touch. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Wipe out the large bowl and fill it up with ice and cold water (for an ice bath).

Step 6

Blanch the veggies. Once the water is boiling, add a generous tablespoon of kosher salt, followed by the broccolini and edamame. Partially cover to help bring back to a boil, and cook for about 3 minutes, until broccolini is crisp tender with a bite. Drain in a colander, then transfer to the ice bath to chill.Drain and dry the veggies well with a towel. Transfer back to the large bowl and season with a few pinches of salt and drizzle with the toasted sesame oil. Toss, and set aside.

Step 7

Make the peanut tofu. After 20 minutes in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350ºF / 175ºC. Transfer baked tofu and half of the Peanut Sauce (¼ cup or ~70g) to a bowl. Toss with a silicone spatula to coat, then sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sesame seeds.Spread the tofu out on the lined pan. Bake at 350ºF / 175ºC for 10 minutes, until the peanut sauce has dried out a bit.

Step 8

While the peanut tofu bakes, prep the serving ingredients. Whisk a few teaspoons of water into the remaining half of the Peanut Sauce until pourable. Roughly chop the cashews (or peanuts) and chop the cilantro. Reheat your rice, as needed.

Step 9

Assemble. Squeeze a bit of lime juice on top of the warm baked peanut tofu. Divide cooked rice between four bowls. Top with broccolini & edamame, then drizzle some Peanut Sauce on top of each. Top with baked peanut tofu, cilantro, and chopped nuts. Spoon more Peanut Sauce on top.