Golden Tofu (or Chicken) with Nutty Coconut-Lime Sauce
This sauce is such a big hit with everyone who has tried it—it has all the flavor and texture elements to make it addictively good. Serve it with steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 16 oz. extra-firm tofu drained and pressed, or use boneless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 Tbsp. coconut or vegetable oil
- 4 carrots sliced (about 2 cups), or use 1 cup carrots and 1 cup green beans
- 1 yellow onion diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger minced
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter or other nut or seed butter
- 1/4 cup light coconut milk, or use regular coconut milk
- 1 - 2 tsp. curry powder to taste
- 1/2 lime juice only, about 1 Tbsp.
- 2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce (use wheat/gluten-free, if needed) or use any variety
- 1 Tbsp. honey
Instructions
- Dice the tofu, wrap it in a clean absorbent dishcloth, and set it aside.
- In a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium heat, heat half the oil.
- When it is hot, add the carrots, sauté them for 1 minute, then cover the pan, reduce the heat, and steam them for 4 minutes.
- Uncover the pan, raise the heat back to medium and add the onions and ginger. Sauté them for about 4 more minutes until the onions are tender and translucent.
- Transfer the vegetables to a bowl, and add the remaining oil to the skillet.
- When the oil is hot, add the tofu and sauté it for about 10 minutes, flipping it occasionally, until it is lightly browned on most sides (might take less time for chicken – which you should cook until it is almost cooked through).
- Meanwhile, in a large measuring cup whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, curry powder, lime juice, soy sauce and honey.
- When the tofu is lightly browned, add the vegetables back to the pan and top everything with the peanut sauce. Stir it all together for a minute, remove it from the heat, and serve it immediately over the rice.
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Drain and dice the tofu and wrap it in an absorbent cloth or cut and refrigerate the chicken if using, slice the carrots, dice the onion, peel and mince the ginger, juice the lime, prepare and refrigerate the sauce.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Add 1 tsp. fish sauce and 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes or 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper to the peanut sauce, sauté 1 – 2 cloves minced garlic for the last 30 seconds of cooking the onions and carrots, and serve it topped with thinly sliced scallions or chopped fresh cilantro.
Tip: For a quicker meal (with a little more cleanup) cook the vegetables and tofu at the same time in separate pans. Just be sure to use a nonstick skillet for the tofu or use additional oil to cook it.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 351, Total Fat: 23g, 35%; Saturated Fat: 9g, 42.5%; Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%; Sodium: 369mg, 15.5%; Total Carbohydrate: 23g, 7.5%; Dietary Fiber: 5g, 17%; Sugar: 11g; Protein: 17g
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Nutrition
Calories: 289kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 16gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 319mgPotassium: 145mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gCalcium: 100mgIron: 2.9mg
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