In this dish, well-seared tofu, cashews and crisp vegetables are doused with a sweet and sticky sauce in a cast iron pan, producing something very similar to Chinese takeout. What makes this sauce so beautifully flavored and thick, and allows it to cling so well to the tofu, is a simple and small dash of a cold water and cornstarch slurry added at the end of cooking time. This looks and smells heavenly throughout the prep and cook time, and is quick and easy enough to make as a weeknight dinner.
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SWEET AND STICKY CASHEW TOFU
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
for the sauce
- 2 TB toasted sesame oil
- 2 TB soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 TB cold water, whisked with 2 tsp cornstarch
for the tofu and vegetables
- 1–2 tsp olive oil
- 1 TB minced ginger
- 1 TB minced garlic
- 1 block of firm tofu, sliced into triangles (no need to press it)
- 2–3 small shallots, quartered
- 4–6 shiitake caps, sliced thinly
- handful or so of broccoli florets
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
to serve
- sesame seeds
- noodles or rice
Instructions
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and water into a small bowl and set aside.
- In a cast iron pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in the ginger and garlic and allow to soften for a minute or two. Then, scrape the contents into a small bowl and set aside.
- Return to the stove and place a little more olive oil into the pan. Increase the heat to medium, then place the tofu triangles into the pan. Be careful, as the pan may sputter a bit. Allow the tofu to brown on one side for about 6 minutes, then flip and allow the other side to brown for the same amount of time. Transfer the tofu to a plate.
- Next, add in the shallots to the pan. Poke them around a bit after a minute to allow the layers to separate. Add in the mushrooms, stir, then deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of water. Allow to sizzle for a minute or two, then toss in the broccoli florets and cashews. Once the broccoli is bright green after a minute or so, transfer the pan contents to another plate.
- Now return the tofu to the pan. Whisk together the sauce, then pour it over the tofu. Stir gently to combine. Stir the water and cornstarch together in a small bowl until combined, then pour into the pan, stir and allow to slightly thicken, then remove from the heat immediately.
- Place cooked noodles or rice into a bowl. Add the vegetables and other reserved components to the bowl, then place the tofu triangles over everything, using a spatula to scrape any leftover sauce out of the pan. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, then serve immediately.
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
Alecia Ghilarducci says
Hi Erin, This photo and recipe made me want to make it right now – maybe with a fried egg on top so I can call it breakfast!
I just started blogging a couple of weeks ago and your site is an inspiration. I am working on formatting mine so it's not so f-ugly, and my photography is strictly amateur but I couldn't wait to get started. Let me know what you think if you get a chance?
http://www.hugsnquiches.blogspot.com
Thanks,
Alecia
Kristina says
this is perfection. I learned the cornstarch-water thickener trick from my mom when I was a kid – and do not use it often enough. I cannot wait to try this recipe.
LittleMonsterx14 says
wow this looks amazing!
MadSCAR says
This is amazing:) I love it!
Sunnie says
WOW! I just stumbled across your blog, and already, I am absolutely astounded. You're so talented!
I'm a semi-new vegan (I've been one for a little over a year) and am starting to break into more adventurous cooking (I made something like Thai or Indian food the other night for my family). I will be reading your blog regularly! Please don't stop posting any time soon, and keep up that amazing!! 😀
P.S. Your vegan faux-roe and sriracha pearls astound me. Wow.
erinwyso says
*blushes* thank you!
awesomeveganrad says
Looks lovely and sounds tasty.
CJ Huang says
This recipe looks great! I just got some tofu and can't wait to try it out. 🙂
Gabrielle Joy says
I made this recipe last night. I did make a small change and added the juice of an orange and a bit of orange zest to really brighten up the flavor.
I always look forward to your recipes!
erinwyso says
Looks gorgeous! Glad you enjoyed and thanks for trying it out. : )
mojocentral says
Vegan here. I'm not a big fan of soybeans/tofu–but this I will try!
CeeBee says
Get in my face now delicious meal!
That looks amazing!!!
mojocentral says
I just made this for dinner, am about to sit down. The sauce is like a savory caramel. Delicious–thank you!
Veg-In-Training says
I made this for dinner last night with soba noodles. It was so good.
erinwyso says
Thanks for letting me know — happy you enjoyed it! : )
bessiesveggiefood says
this was absolutely delicious! Thank-you so much for sharing!
erinwyso says
Glad you enjoyed!
Paula Jo says
Can I use tempeh, instead of tofu?
erinwyso says
yes, I think tempeh would work great here!
Liza says
I have made this recipe a couple of times and LOVE IT, but do have a question for you, Erin.
I don't cook with alcohol for religious reasons. What do you suggest as a replacement for mirin?
(I understand that the alcohol cooks out; it's just a personal choice)
erinwyso says
So happy you like, Liza! I have never tried making a mirin substitute, so I did some googling around. This video probably yields the closest taste to mirin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4v6iJOsaW8
If you don't want to use a water/sugar mixture, you can also try white grape juice as your base, then add in rice vinegar to taste, one teaspoon at a time. Good luck!
Rhonda says
You can use rice wine vinegar and sugar as a substitute, about to make this for dinner, few more veggies I cant wait, yum yum.
Trish says
I made this last night. WOW! I was so surprised as this was excellent restaurant quality. My husband, a non-vegan, hates tofu. He did like the look of the dish and said he’d try a plate with my 15yr old son and I. He scoffed his entire plate clean! Needless to say, my son, who’s a tofu hound, and I REALLY enjoyed this meal thoroughly as well. Will be making this often. One question: Could I bake the tofu instead of frying?
If a non-vegan who despises tofu can lick his plate clean with this dish then it certainly deserves a full-star rating! Thanks for an awesome dish!!
erinwyso says
Trish, I love your comment so much! Thank you so much for sharing and I’m thrilled that it was a hit!
You definitely can bake tofu with similar results … check out this method, good luck! http://cookieandkate.com/2016/how-to-make-crispy-baked-tofu/
Karleah says
Delicious!! Will definitely make again.
Amanda Erickson says
This is my favorite recipe from this site, so far! I’ve made it for company who had never had tofu before and they were converted.
erinwyso says
Amanda, I love to hear that … thank you! 🙂
It Isnt says
This Sweet and Sticky Cashew Tofu recipe looks so delicious! I love how it combines sweet and savory flavors with the added crunch of cashews. Definitely adding this to my list of must-try tofu recipes.