A couple of years ago, I picked up a copy of Keo’s Thai Cuisine in a used book store—I bought it specifically for the satay sauce recipe that, besides looking amazing, appeared to be very easy to veganize (traditional satay sauce typically contains milk and fish sauce). I’ve tweaked Keo‘s version of satay sauce numerous times and we now enjoy this version with grilled lemongrass tofu.
I really like making the entire menu below during the summer months—all of the components present a perfect blend of fresh, cool, spicy and rich. You can prep everything here in the morning (except for the rice and grilling) to enjoy a light, relaxing and flavorful dinner in the evening. This recipe makes a lot, so it’s perfect for sharing with a few people.
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Grilled Tofu Satay
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
for the tofu and marinade
- 2 blocks of firm tofu, pressed and sliced any way you like
- 6 TB vegetable oil
- 4 stalks fresh lemongrass hearts
- 6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 TB curry powder
- 1 TB agave nectar
- 1 TB vegan fish sauce or soy sauce
- pinch of dried habanero powder (or more to taste)
for the satay sauce
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium-sized onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 3 TB chopped fresh lemongrass hearts
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup almond milk
- cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tsp tamarind paste
- 2 TB vegan fish sauce or soy sauce
- 3 TB dark brown sugar
- the zest of one lime, plus the juice
- 1 cup of chunky peanut butter
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
for the fruit salad
- 2 fresh mangoes, peeled and diced
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
for the rice (not pictured)
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
- 3 cups water
- 3 TB raw virgin coconut oil
- 1 TB ginger, minced
- 1 tsp fresh jalapeño, minced (or more to taste)
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Place all of the marinade ingredients (except for the tofu) into a food processor and blend for 15-30 seconds. Scrape the marinade into a large pyrex dish, and then place the tofu pieces into it, flipping them around to ensure they are well coated. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to grill.
- To make the satay sauce, heat the 1/4 cup of oil over medium heat. Add in the next six ingredients and saute for three minutes. Add the coconut and almond milks and then the rest of the satay ingredients (except for the chopped peanuts), and lower the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure the sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- While the satay sauce is simmering, make the fruit salad by tossing together the mangoes, blueberries, lime zest and juice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Before you are ready to fire up the grill to make the tofu, place the rice and water into a rice cooker to steam.
- Grill the tofu over medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side. Once the tofu comes off the grill, I like to place it back into the pyrex dish to recoat it in any leftover marinade.
- Once the rice is ready, saute the coconut oil, jalapeño and ginger over medium-low heat in a medium-sized saucepan for 2 minutes. Toss in the cooked rice and fold in the chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
- The satay sauce can be served warm or cold. Sprinkle with the peanuts before serving.
