Having a delicious Japanese inspired meal in front of you on a weeknight has never been easier with this quick & tasty Teriyaki Tofu recipe

Let me be the first to admit that I’m probably lazier than the average person. If I won the lotto I would spend most of my days lying down, either on a luxury bed or on the sand at a beach somewhere. I’ll also invent gym equipment that will burn fat when I sleep. Yup, that’s me, only a truly lazy person would think like this!

Presently, lying around leisurely is not an option for me since having Kai. There is no resting with a boisterous 14-month-old rampaging through the house!

As a result, a lot of my cooking style has changed to adapt to my new lifestyle. It’s called ‘cooking by an exhausted mum’ this is where I get creative and make no fuss tasty and quick meals, just like this Teriyaki Tofu served with hot steamy rice.

This delicious Teriyaki Tofu is not only simple to make, it’s also budget-friendly. All you need it a packet of tofu and some common Japanese ingredients which you can easily buy at the supermarket or at an Asian grocer.

It’s unbelievable how easy it is to make this Japanese inspired dish at home!

The tofu is covered in caramelised homemade teriyaki sauce. It also has a lovely crispy and slightly chewy texture. The fresh spring onions and hot steamed rice accompany this dish well as it takes the edge of sweet-salty teriyaki sauce.

It’s so delicious that even the biggest tofu haters and meat-lovers may fall in love with tofu!

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To Tofu or not to Tofu…

The answer right now is ABSOLUTELY YES !!! BUT it hasn’t always been this way. My relationship with tofu was a bit rocky in the beginning.

I was introduced to tofu when I was in my early twenties whilst I was having lunch at Pitt Street mall food court with Alicia.

We decided to go with Chinese, the ones where you get to choose your noodle, protein, veggies and sauce. Alicia my good friend is an on again and off again vegetarian but on this occasion, she was so she got Tofu. I can’t even remember what I ordered but I clearly remembered hers as I tried her tofu for the first time and was put off by it.

The tofu I tasted was deep-fried and was drier than the Sahara desert. It was like I was chewing on old gummy rubber!

Due to this experience, I avoided tofu but my sister Nara had other plans for me. She loves tofu and persuaded (forced) me to give it another ago.

We were seated outdoors in a crowded and noisy Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. Nara flapped the menu in my face and with a bossy finger she pointed to a picture of some tofu dish, ‘We are ordering this!’ she demanded.

I agreed on the basis she would shut up. The tofu was stuffed with pork and prawns so I was actually planning to eat all the stuffing and leave Nara with just the tofu.

Unfortunately, I didn’t end up doing that because I actually loved the entire dish tofu and all! Nara was right, Tofu can be incredibly delicious if it’s cooked correctly and covered in an amazing sauce.

Quick Tofu 101

The most common varieties of tofu sold here are:

Silken or soft tofu – This tofu is very soft and light which means it’s very fragile and prone to falling apart. It’s commonly used in soup, sauces or desserts.

Regular/ medium tofu – As its name suggests regular tofu is not too hard and not too soft in texture. It’s all-rounder tofu which means it can be cooked in many different ways.

Firm/Hard Tofu – This tofu has lots of water pressed out making it dense in texture. Firm tofu will keep its shape when cooking so it’s great for marinating, deep frying and stirfries.

What does tofu taste like?

Tofu is well known for being bland with a neutral taste, others also may describe as tasting like ‘nothing’.

I would agree to this to an extent as tofu absorbs the sauce or flavours it’s cooked in so it can mask the tofu flavour. For me, I still can taste the unique flavour tofu has, which is hard to describe but ‘raw beans’ come to mind.

Some recipes substitute tofu in desserts or smoothies in place of milk or cream. I have tried this but can still taste the tofu which is off-putting, so I don’t like tofu in desserts.

How to prepare tofu

Tofu contains lots of water so it’s common to try and remove excess water before cooking it. Some use a Tofu presser, or others use plates and weights to try rid of water from tofu.

This is where I remind you again I’m a lazy cook, so I don’t bother with all that. I just use paper towels and my hands to put pressure on the tofu by pressing down on it and dab it dry.

Ingredients for Teriyaki Tofu

Firm tofu – Firm tofu works best as we need to handle the tofu for dusting in flour and frying but regular tofu can also be used with care.

Cooking sake – Sake is Japanese alcohol made from fermented rice. Cooking sake is usually less sweet with added salt and vinegar. It can be found in supermarkets in the international section or at Asian grocers.

Mirin – Is Japanese rice wine that is low in alcohol but high in sugar. It can be found in supermarkets in the international section or at Asian grocers.

Soy sauce – Light or regular soy sauce can be used.

Flour – To make the tofu crispy use either cornflour, cornstarch, potato flour or potato starch.

Sugar – The sugar is added to help the teriyaki sauce thicken, caramelise and add additional sweetness. If you do not like your teriyaki sauce sweet, use half of the sugar recommended or skip it altogether as the mirin will add some sweetness.

Spring onions (Scallions) – Spring onion is more than just a pretty garnish in this recipe, it adds freshness and texture to the tofu. When soaked in cold water for 15 minutes it makes the spring onion crispy and less intense in flavour.

How to make Teriyaki Tofu

Step by step guide with photos

Prepare the spring onions

For spring onion curls, cut the onions in 10cm (4 inches) in lengths then thinly slice them into strips. Alternatively, slice the spring onions diagonally. Place the cut onions in a bowl of cold water and set them aside.

Mix the teriyaki sauce

In a small bowl combine soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar and mix well to combine, set aside.

Prepare the tofu

Place the tofu on a chopping board. Using paper towels and hands gently but firmly press on the tofu to release any excess water. Cut the tofu into 1cm slices and again in half, repeat with the gentle press and use paper towels to blot of any water.

Dust the tofu in flour

Place the flour on a plate and dust each slice of tofu in the flour and shake off any excess flour. For a quick method, use a large snap bag, place the flour and tofu inside, create some air and shake the bag to coat the tofu.

Pan fry or deep fry the tofu

To deep-fry, preheat the oil to 180°C (360°F) and cook tofu for 2 to 3 minutes making sure to turn the tofu so it cooks evenly. For pan-fried tofu, pour the oil in a frypan until it coats the entire surface of the pan. Heat the oil on medium to high heat and cook the tofu on each side for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Transfer the tofu on to a cooling rack.

Cook the tofu in the teriyaki sauce

Remove any excess oil remaining in the pan or use a different frypan. On medium to high heat add in the teriyaki sauce mixture and stir until mixture bubbles. Add in the tofu and gently stir it into the sauce making sure to coat each side evenly. The tofu is ready once the sauce has thickened and the tofu has caramelised.

Tips and other info

To serve – The teriyaki tofu goes really well with hot steamed rice or fresh salad to take the edge of the salty and sweet flavour of the teriyaki sauce.

Leftovers – It’s best to serve and eat the tofu immediately as any leftovers won’t be as nice the following day.

If you love simple fast and tasty meals I recommend you try my FRIED CRISPY HOT WINGS, THAI CHICKEN AND PUMPKIN STIR FRY, FETTUCCINE BOSCAIOLA and MANGO SALSA SALMON

Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.

A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.

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Cheers (I’ll drink to that) – Cat Tre