Orange and ginger glazed tofu is a quick and easy 30-minute weeknight meal. Crispy pan-fried tofu and fresh, crisp steamed broccoli in a sweet ginger-orange sauce.
It’s encouraging to see more and more supermarkets around Barcelona carrying tofu. It seems to be slowly gaining acceptance here, which is a good thing since tofu has been a staple in my kitchen since I was a teenager.
Despite the fact that it’s becoming easier to find in my neighbourhood, I still prefer to pick up a couple blocks of tofu when I go downtown to the Asian supermarket. It’s cheaper, fresher, and always in stock. Since I don’t manage to get there every week, I put a couple blocks in the freezer to pull out whenever I need them.
The benefit to freezing tofu is twofold: not only does it keep it fresher longer, but it also creates air pockets that allow the tofu to suck up more sauce, thereby making it more flavourful.
Another essential step to imparting flavour in your tofu is to press it. I generally do this by cutting it into slices and arranging them between paper towels. Then I place it between two absorbent bathroom towel and put a couple of heavy textbooks on top. I leave it there for about an hour.
This recipe for orange and ginger glazed tofu resulted from a search for more vegan-friendly recipes. Orange and ginger is a popular Chinese take-out combination, and this sauce is sweet, citrusy, and tangy at the same time.
This particular recipe was inspired by and adapted from Connoisseurus Veg's Crispy Orange Ginger Tofu. Which is one of my favourite websites for vegan recipes. The website is enormous, and has practically any vegan recipe you could be looking for. I recommend that you check it out!
Orange and Ginger Glazed Tofu
Sticky sweet and sour orange and ginger-glazed tofu is a delicious and hearty vegan main dish.
Ingredients
- 1 large head of broccoli, chopped into florets
- 1 cup (250 ml) orange juice (4 medium fresh or bottled)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch, divided (or more if needed)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- zest of one orange
- Sriracha, to taste (optional)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 block (14 oz / 495 grams) extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed and cubed
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Optional garnish: sesame seeds, green. onion
Instructions
- Steam the broccoli until bright green and tender.
- Combine the orange juice, 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, brown sugar, soy sauce, orange zest and sriracha in a bowl. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch.
- Place the cubed tofu in a container with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Put the lid on and shake well to cover the tofu in cornstarch. You can add a bit more cornstarch if it's not coated well enough.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and fry the tofu, stirring occasionally, until brown on each side. Work in batches if it doesn't all fit at once. Remove to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and gently fry the ginger and garlic, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Give the sauce another stir to ensure the cornstarch is dissolved and add it to the pan. Stir it constantly until thickened - just a minute or two.
- Add the tofu back to the pan along with the steamed broccoli. Stir to coat well in the sauce.
- Serve over rice and garnish with green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 328Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 511mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 6gSugar: 16gProtein: 16g
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only.
Caitie B says
Hi there! This is so great, I cannot wait to try it! This may be a silly question, but would the flavor change much with fresh squeezed OJ, the kind you squeeze at home? Thanks! Love this recipe!
Melissa says
Hi Caitie, any kind of orange juice will work fine!
Megan Baumann says
This was sooo dang good!!! Omg. Def. going in my regular rotation!!!!
Kathleen says
This is delicious. And husband approved!
Melissa says
Awesome!
Denise says
Delicious! I added asparagus and red pepper. Very tasty and satisfying!
Amy says
Love this! I sprinkled some left-over orange zest on the top because I think it needed more of a brighter orange taste. My tofu doesn’t ever get crispy. I don’t think I’m “pressing” it enough. How long do you pressed yours for?
Melissa says
Usually I aim for about 30 minutes but I don't always have that much time to wait. To get crispy tofu make sure your heat is high enough.
Colin S says
I really loved this dish. I used fresh orange juice, and the ginger and orange flavors were perfect. It was my first time frying tofu, and it had a really good texture. I pretty much followed the recipe exactly. I'll definitely make it again.