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    Home » MAINS » VEGAN

    Crispy Tahini Tofu with Broccoli

    Published: January 20, 2021 · Updated: July 13, 2022 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    There’s nothing like crispy sesame tofu with wonderfully creamy tahini sauce served on a bed of rice! This Bianca Zapatka-inspired recipe is just that: Sesame Crusted Tofu with Broccoli and Tahini Sauce instantly became a favourite of ours! We are sure you’ll love it too!

    Take Me To:
    • Recipe Inspiration
    • Tahini: A Wonderful Cupboard Ingredient
    • How to Make Tofu Crispy?
    • Method: Sesame Tofu with Tahini Sauce
      • Step 1: Press and Marinade Tofu
      • Step 2: Prepare the Tahini Sauce
      • Step 3: Cook the Tahini Tofu with Brocolli
    • Other Delicious Vegan Recipes
    • Recipe Card

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    Recipe Inspiration

    My best friend recommended a wonderful recipe for us to try, that she had found in a Vegan Food & Living Magazine. Bianca Zapatka’s recipe for Crispy Tofu with Tahini and Peanut Sauce sounded insanely good and we couldn’t resist trying it!

    Over the months, we made it numerous times, and the crispy sesame tofu recipe somewhat evolved and flexed to suit our individual tastes and the ingredients that we always have in our cupboards!

    We make our Tahini Tofu With Broccoli without peanut butter and added lime!

    Tahini Tofu with broccoli on a small white bowl with chopsticks resting on the rim.

    Tahini: A Wonderful Cupboard Ingredient

    Tahini is one of my favourite ingredients to use in both savoury and sweet dishes. It is a wonderfully creamy sesame paste that tastes both bittersweet and savoury. Traditionally, heavily used in Persian and Middle Eastern cooking, Tahini has become popular around the world. Rightly so, it is extremely versatile and can be used in sauces for Asian Stir-fries, various grain bowls and salads, and delicious biscuits and milkshakes!

    There are two main types of tahini widely available: made from hulled or unhulled sesame seeds. I personally prefer the unhulled type, it has a nuttier, slightly more bitter taste that lends itself better to savoury dishes. My favourite brand is the Organic Sunita Whole Tahini. However, light tahini paste features an extremely creamy and decadent texture, but a milder flavour. If you’re going for light tahini, we recommend Meridian Light Tahini Paste.

    In this recipe, we paired tahini with lime, soy sauce, maple syrup and garlic to create a delectable tahini sauce for tofu. Sesame-crusted tofu with broccoli and tahini sauce is a winning combination!

    How to Make Tofu Crispy?

    First of all, choose firm or extra-firm tofu: it will have a denser texture and less moisture in it!

    If you want your tofu crispy, you will need to press it first. Wrap in a clean tea towel and place something heavy on top: you can use a heavy pan, a chopping board with lots of cans on top or a bunch of books. Doing this ensures all extra liquid is pressed out. If you make tofu dishes a lot, there are lots of Tofu Presses out there that you may want to invest in!

    We recommend pressing firm tofu for about 30 minutes before marinating or cooking.


    Method: Sesame Tofu with Tahini Sauce

    Step 1: Press and Marinade Tofu

    Take your tofu out of the fridge and drain it long before you start cooking. We recommend pressing it for at least 30 minutes and then marinating it for at least 2 hours.

    Tofu, wrapped in a tea towel and with a heavy cast iron skillet on top being pressed.

    In the meantime, finely chop ginger and garlic. You may choose to grate it instead if you have one of these graters here.

    Dice the tofu into cubes. Spread in a single layer in a large dish. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Pour the mixture over the tofu cubes, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours (marinade for 8 hours for best results).

    Tofu marinade in a small white bowl.
    Tofu marinating with ginger, garlic and soy sauce.

    Step 2: Prepare the Tahini Sauce

    Start by chopping or crushing the garlic clove. Then zest and juice the lime. Add tahini, maple syrup, soy sauce and water and mix well to combine. Add more water if your sauce is too thick.

    Step 3: Cook the Tahini Tofu with Brocolli

    Boil the rice following the instructions on the packet. We used simple basmati rice, but other types, including brown rice, work just as well.

    Mix breadcrumbs and sesame seeds on a large plate. Then roll the tofu cubes in the mixture. Make sure you coat the tofu thoroughly. I like to lightly press the sesame crumbs down onto the cubes so they stay on better when being fried (lots will fall off though and will be used as a crumb for the top, so don’t worry if the mixture doesn’t stick too well).

    Heat 3 tbs of vegetable oil in a large frying pan. When hot, add the sesame tofu cubes and turn them once in a while. Your tofu should be crispy and golden on all sides. It will take about 7-8 minutes.

    Whilst your tofu is crisping up, break your broccoli into florets and add them to a large pan. Pour boiling water over and add a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-6 minutes (depending on the size of your florets). Your broccoli should start to soften but still retain some crunch.

    Marinated tofu being rolled in a breadcrumb and sesame seed mixture.
    Sesame crusted tofu cubes frying in a pan.

    Drain the broccoli. Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in another frying pan. Tip the broccoli in and stir fry on high heat for 4-5 minutes to brown a little.

    Divide rice between four bowls. Top with crispy sesame tofu and stir-fried broccoli. Drizzle the tahini sauce all over. Scatter some roasted peanuts, and crispy sesame crumbs left in the tofu pan and garnish with a wedge of lime!


    Other Delicious Vegan Recipes

    We hope you enjoyed our version of Tahini Tofu! For other vegan recipe ideas, have a look at our collection here, including:

    • Vegetable & Mushroom Miso Ramen Bowl
    • Vegan Yasai Pad Thai
    • Sweet & Salty Miso Aubergine

    Recipe Card

    Sesame Tofu

    Sesame Tofu with Tahini Sauce

    There's nothing like crispy tofu with wonderfully creamy sauce served on a bed of rice! This Bianca Zapatka inspired recipe is just that: Crispy Sesame Tofu with Tahini Sauce instantly became a favourite of ours!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Marinading Time: 3 hrs
    Total Time 3 hrs 45 mins
    Course Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine Asian, Middle Eastern, Vegan
    Servings 4 portions
    Calories 768 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 400 g firm tofu
    • 3 tablespoon breadcrumbs
    • 3 tablespoon sesame seeds
    • 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 320 g rice
    • 30 g roasted peanuts

    For the Marinade:

    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 15 g ginger
    • 4 tablespoon dark soy sauce

    For Broccoli:

    • 270 g broccoli
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

    For Tahini Sauce:

    • 1 lime
    • 1 garlic clove
    • 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
    • 1½ tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar
    • 4 tablespoon tahini paste
    • 4 tablespoon water

    Instructions
     

    Marinade Tofu:

    • Take your tofu out of the fridge and drain it. Wrap it in a tea towel and put a heavy weight (we used a heavy pan) on top to remove any excess moisture. Leave it to drain for approx. 30 minutes.
    • Dice the tofu into cubes. Spread in a single layer in a large dish. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Pour the mixture over the tofu cubes, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours (marinade for 8 hours for best results).

    Prepare the Sauce:

    • Mix all the sauce ingredients together. Add more water if your sauce is too thick.

    Make the Sesame Tofu with Rice & Brocolli:

    • Boil the rice following instructions on the packet.
    • Mix breadcrumbs and sesame seeds on a large plate. Then roll the tofu cubes in the mixture. Make sure you coat the tofu thoroughly.
    • Heat 3 tbs of vegetable oil in a large frying pan. When hot, add the sesame tofu cubes and fry, turning them once in a while. Your tofu should be crispy and golden. It will take about 7-8 minutes.
    • Whilst your tofu is crisping up, parboil broccoli. Pour boiling water over the broccoli florets and add a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-6 minutes (depending on the size of your florets). Your broccoli should start to soften but still retain some crunch.
    • Drain the broccoli. Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in another frying pan. Tip the broccoli in and stir fry on high heat for 4-5 minutes to brown a little.
    • Divide rice between four bowls. Top with crispy sesame tofu and stir-fried broccoli. Drizzle the tahini sauce all over. Scatter some roasted peanuts, any crispy sesame crumbs left in the tofu pan and garnish with a wedge of lime!

    Notes

    Based on Bianca Zapatka’s Crispy Sesame Tofu with Tahini Peanut Sauce, Broccoli and Rice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 768kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 26gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 1634mgPotassium: 565mgFiber: 7gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 421IUVitamin C: 66mgCalcium: 292mgIron: 5mg
    Keyword Chinese Tofu Recipes, Crispy Tofu Recipes, Plant Based Sesame Tofu, Plant Based Tahini Tofu, Plant Based Tofu Recipes, Sesame Tofu, Sesame Tofu Recipe, Tahini Recipes, Tahini Tofu, Tahini Tofu recipe, Tahini Tofu Recipes, Tahini Tofu Rice Bowl, The Best Tofu Recipes, The Best Vegan Recipes, Tofu And Brocolli Bowl, Tofu Recipe with Tahini, Vegan Crispy Tahini Tofu, Vegan Sesame Tofu, Vegan Tahini Recipes, Vegan Tahini Tofu, Vegan Tofu Recipes, Vegan Tofu Rice Bowl, Veganuary Recipes
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    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

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