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Tofu Lunch / Dinner Main Courses

Tofu braised in BBQ sauce

Published: 10.21.2022 » Last updated: 10.21.2022

Crumbled tofu is cooked in BBQ sauce until the water content of the soy bean curd has evaporated. Served with egg, veggies and rice, and it's a one bowl meal.

Tofu in BBQ sauce with rice, egg and sliced cucumber

We love tofu here at home. While traditional dishes like ma po tofu is always a delight, we’re also trying to find new ways to enjoy it.

Braising crumbled tofu in sauce to mimic ground meat can be a simple affair if you use store-bought BBQ sauce. If, however, you’re inclined to make the sauce from scratch so that you can have better control with the flavor, you may want to use the marinade I made for our Korean grilled beef skewers.

Korean-style grilled beef skewers

Korean grilled beef skewers

Spicy, sweet with a richness that only the combination of doenjang and gochujang can impart. With a stovetop grill, you can enjoy these Korean grilled beef skewers any time of the year.

When you have your BBQ sauce, cooking this dish is pretty straightforward. Note, however, that tofu contains plenty of water and it does take time to make all of that evaporate. It helps a lot if you press the uncut cake of tofu between stacks of paper towels for about ten minutes to start the process of removing the water before the tofu even hits the pan.

Sauteeing shallot and garlic before adding crumbled tofu

Saute chopped shallots and garlic in a little oil until aromatic. Take your tofu and crumble it directly into the pan.

Pouring BBQ sauce over crumbled tofu

Pour the BBQ sauce over the tofu and stir. At this point, the tofu will look pale and it will be tempting to add more BBQ sauce. Don’t. Remember that there’s still plenty of water to get rid off and as the water slowly evaporates, the tofu will start acquiring better color. The flavor of the BBQ sauce will become more pronounced too.

Cooking crumbled tofu in BBQ sauce

Braise the tofu, stirring occasionally, without covering the pan. When the mixture is almost dry, you will hear some sizzling. That means the tofu is already frying in the oil in the pan. Watch the tofu carefully at this stage to prevent the BBQ sauce from burning.

Tofu braised in BBQ sauce

Connie Veneracion
A meatless dish that goes well with rice. Add texture to your tofu and rice meal by serving halved hard-boiled eggs and cucumber slices on the side.
Tofu in BBQ sauce with rice, egg and sliced cucumber
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American Fusion
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 2 shallots peeled and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
  • 1 cake firm tofu (about 300 grams), rinsed and drained well
  • ¼ to â…“ cup BBQ sauce store bought or homemade

Instructions
 

  • Heat the cooking oil in a wok or frying pan.
  • Saute the shallots and garlic until aromatic, about two minutes.
  • Crumble the tofu on top of the shallots and garlic.
  • Drizzle a quarter cup of BBQ sauce over the tofu and stir.
  • Cook over medium heat, uncovered and with occasional stirring, until the mixture is quite dry.
  • Taste. If too bland, stir in the remaining BBQ sauce.

Connie Veneracion

Lawyer by education. Journalist by accident. Writer by passion. Photographer by necessity. Good food, coffee and wine lover forever. Read more about me and Umami Days. Find me on Flipboard, Substack and Pinterest.

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