Tofu Rice Bowl With Peanut Sauce (Printable Version)
Crispy tofu over jasmine rice with fresh veggies and creamy peanut sauce. A satisfying vegetarian Asian bowl.
# What You Need:
→ Rice Bowl Components
01 - 1½ cups uncooked jasmine or brown rice
02 - 14 oz firm tofu, pressed and cubed
03 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
04 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
05 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
06 - 1 large carrot, julienned
07 - 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
08 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
09 - 1 cup cooked and shelled edamame
10 - 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
→ Peanut Sauce
11 - ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
12 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
14 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
15 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
16 - 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
17 - 1 garlic clove, minced
18 - 2–3 tablespoons warm water
# How to Make It:
01 - Cook rice according to package directions. Keep warm and set aside until ready to assemble.
02 - Toss the cubed tofu with cornstarch in a medium bowl until all pieces are evenly coated.
03 - Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange tofu cubes in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy on all sides, approximately 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
04 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, rice vinegar, grated ginger, and minced garlic. Add warm water one tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
05 - Divide the cooked rice among 4 bowls. Arrange crispy tofu, shredded cabbage, julienned carrot, sliced cucumber, green onions, and edamame over each portion of rice.
06 - Drizzle peanut sauce generously over each bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The peanut sauce alone is worth making this, and it doubles as a dip for everything else in your fridge.
- Crispy tofu that actually stays crispy is a game changer, and the cornstarch trick makes it effortless.
- You get a complete, colorful meal in about forty minutes with almost zero stress.
02 -
- Skip pressing the tofu and you will end up with soggy cubes that steam instead of fry, learned that the hard way on a night I was too hungry to wait.
- Adding the warm water one tablespoon at a time to the sauce prevents it from becoming too thin to cling to the tofu.
03 -
- Press the tofu for at least fifteen minutes with a heavy skillet on top of it wrapped in paper towels, and your crispiness will double.
- Adding a pinch of chili flakes or a squirt of sriracha to the peanut sauce transforms the whole bowl into something with real heat behind it.