Here's a hearty tofu and mixed vegetable rice bowl. This one is really easy to make and easily customisable with your vegetables of choice. This takes me back to a lot of my meals growing up because I love having rice bowls especially if there’s a really tasty sauce that’s soaked up by the rice.
INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED FOR THIS TOFU AND VEGETABLE RICE BOWL:
- extra firm tofu
- long beans or green beans
- carrot
- Other vegetables of choice like peas, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, etc.
- minced garlic (i love garlic so I used a lot!)
- vegan ham slices or sausages (optional)
WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR THIS TASTY STIR-FRY SAUCE
- vegetarian oyster sauce adjust to taste
- soy sauce
- dark soy sauce optional for colour
- room temperature water plus 2-3 tbsp more during cooking (see notes)
- corn starch
- sesame oil
- sake or other rice wine
- sugar adjust to taste
- chili sauce or chilli oil, optional for spice
The full recipe is in the recipe card below!
PRESSING THE TOFU AND PREPARING THE VEGETABLES
- Prepare your tofu by pressing it. I like to wrap mine in a towel and place a heavy flat surface on top (such as a few chopping boards). Afterwards, I slice the tofu it into small 1/2-3/4 inch cubes. I like cutting mine into small cubes so they’re easy to scoop over along with the chopped vegetables.
MIX TOGETHER THE SAUCE
- Meanwhile, mix together the sauce ingredients in a bowl until the corn starch has dissolved. Feel free to adjust the sauce to your taste.
COOKING THIS DISH
- For the tofu, you can opt to pan-fry or deep fry these until golden brown or crisp or place them in an air-fryer to crisp up. I air-fried mine for 25-30 minutes at 200C until golden brown and crisp. Once the tofu is cooked, set it aside.
- Heat a pot or pan over medium. Once hot, add some oil for cooking. Sauté the garlic until aromatic before adding in your vegetables. I recommend to add the carrots first since these take longer to cook before adding other vegetables you’re using. Once the vegetables are almost cooked through, add in the vegan ham (if using) and other protein of choice, such as the tofu.
- Give the sauce another mix to make sure the cornstarch hasn’t stuck to the bottom. Over medium heat, pour in the sauce.
- Give everything a good mix to coat the protein and vegetables. The sauce will thicken as it cooks due to the corn starch.
- Taste the veggies and feel free to season more with soy sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce, if needed.
- Lower the heat and allow everything to simmer until the sauce has thickened. You can add 2-3 tbsp more water for a more runnier sauce consistency. Do note that the sauce will really thicken as it cools due to the corn starch.
- Turn off the heat. Serve while hot over steamed rice. Do note that the sauce will continue thicken as it cools due to the corn starch.
THIS RECIPE IS GREAT FOR MEAL PREP. HERE ARE SOME PREPARE-AHEAD TIPS:
- This is great for batch cooking and meal prep. You can make a big batch and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I like to scoop up enough for 1 serving and will reheat this on a pan or in the microwave. Do note that the sauce will thicken in the refrigerator due to the corn starch so you can opt to add some water when reheating and mix it well until the sauce coats the veggies well again.
Looking for more Vegan Asian recipes?
You can get a copy of my cookbook, Vegan Asian!
If you crave vegan-friendly versions of classic Asian dishes, this cookbook is packed with Southeast and East Asian dishes inspired by those I grew up enjoying at home and those I’ve tried from my travels. From iconic Thai dishes to piping-hot Japanese fare and everything in between, the recipes in this will take your palate on a delicious food trip across Asia, and hopefully keep you coming back for more!
You can also check out my other vegan tofu recipes here or down below:
Check out my tips on how to store tofu!
Tofu and Mixed Vegetable Rice Bowl
A hearty tofu and mixed vegetable rice bowl. This one is really easy to make and easily customisable with your vegetables of choice. This takes me back to a lot of my meals growing up because I love having rice bowls especially if there’s a really tasty sauce that’s soaked up by the rice.
Ingredients
- 1 lb block extra firm tofu
- 2.5 oz long beans or green beans
- 1 small carrot diced
- Other vegetables of choice like peas, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, etc.
- 8-10 cloves garlic roughly chopped or minced (i love garlic so I used a lot!)
- 2 vegan ham slices or sausages diced (optional)
Sauce
- 1.5 to 2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce optional for colour
- 1/2 cup room temperature water , plus 2-3 tbsp more during cooking (see notes)
- 3 tsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sake or other rice wine
- 2-3 tsp sugar adjust to taste
- Chili garlic sauce or chili oil, optional for spice
For Cooking
- 1-2 tbsp Neutral oil
To Serve
- Steamed short grain rice or other grain of choice
Instructions
- Prepare your tofu by pressing it. I like to wrap mine in a towel and place a heavy flat surface on top (such as a few chopping boards). Afterwards, I slice the tofu it into small 1/2-3/4 inch cubes. I like cutting mine into small cubes so they’re easy to scoop over along with the chopped vegetables.
- Meanwhile, mix together the sauce ingredients in a bowl until the corn starch has dissolved. Feel free to adjust the sauce to your taste.
- For the tofu, you can opt to pan-fry or deep fry these until golden brown or crisp or place them in an air-fryer to crisp up. I air-fried mine for 25-30 minutes at 200C until golden brown and crisp. Once the tofu is cooked, set it aside.
- Heat a pot or pan over medium. Once hot, add some oil for cooking. Sauté the garlic until aromatic before adding in your vegetables. I recommend to add the carrots first since these take longer to cook before adding other vegetables you’re using. Once the vegetables are almost cooked through, add in the vegan ham (if using) and other protein of choice, such as the tofu.
- Give the sauce another mix to make sure the cornstarch hasn’t stuck to the bottom. Over medium heat, pour in the sauce.
- Give everything a good mix to coat the protein and vegetables. The sauce will thicken as it cooks due to the corn starch.
- Taste the veggies and feel free to season more with soy sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce, if needed.
- Lower the heat and allow everything to simmer until the sauce has thickened. You can add 2-3 tbsp more water for a more runnier sauce consistency. Do note that the sauce will really thicken as it cools due to the corn starch.
- Turn off the heat. Serve while hot over steamed rice. Do note that the sauce will continue thicken as it cools due to the corn starch.
Meal Prep/Prepare Ahead Tips
- This is great for batch cooking and meal prep. You can make a big batch and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I like to scoop up enough for 1 serving and will reheat this on a pan or in the microwave. Do note that the sauce will thicken in the refrigerator due to the corn starch so you can opt to add some water when reheating and mix it well until the sauce coats the veggies well again.
Notes
Water and consistency
- You can add an additional 2-3 tbsp water after the sauce has thickened to run it down a bit. Do note that the sauce will really thicken as it cools due to the corn starch.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1123mg | Potassium: 599mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5341IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 4mg
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