Crispy Tofu Bowl w/ Coconut Rice & Curry Peanut Dressing

Nourishing "bowls" are extremely trendy right now, and for good reason. I often make meals like this for myself but I don’t blog about them because I never measure anything or follow an actual recipe. I take what’s in my fridge and toss it in a bowl with rice or quinoa and whip up a quick dressing – Thai peanut, avocado cream sauce, balsamic vinaigrette, etc, etc – and load on the veggies… usually whatever needs to be consumed before it starts to go bad. I decided to try and further master my craft and create some actual recipes to share and use for when I’m really craving an amazing dish and have time to prepare, or for when I’m serving company and I want to please my people J

This is the most satisfying one I’ve made and I’m so happy I actually paid attention to the amount of ingredients I used…. kinda. How do you blog about a salad? (Yes, I have before but it makes me feel weird, like who actually measures how much veggies they use - how many cups of lettuce? A quarter cup of carrots, idk? Just handful that shit on there, it will be fine)

Anyways. This bowl consists of crispy pan fried tofu, (heavily) addicting coconut rice, sweet mango, fresh veggies and the. most. magnificent. peanut. curry. sauce. I’m not ashamed I ate a couple spoonfuls of the dressing like it was chocolate frosting. My gahhhhd this bowl was so good. Fresh, nutty, spicy, savory, sweet and beautifully colorful.… not to mention you feel GREAT after eating it. It’s like a tropical vacation in your mouth that is nourishing and healthy. Yes, please! 

I reheated the tofu in a skillet three nights this week to have this bowl over and over again for dinner and every time I was so excited to eat it. Heating it in a skillet allows for it to crisp back up, rather than microwaving it where it may get soggy. It’s easy to assemble for weekday dinners – just microwave the leftover rice, heat up the tofu and toss on the veggies and dressing. (I'm literally eating it as I type....)

Also – if you’re uneasy about tofu, don’t be. When it’s cooked right it is soooo good. Crispy, tender little nuggets that absorb flavor beautifully, and it’s super affordable and loaded with calcium, omega-3s, protein, iron and magnesium. An organic, 14oz package (drained weight) is good to feed 4 people in this dish and it costs around two bucks. I love chicken, but I honestly prefer tofu in this bowl.

It’s a very flexible recipe and you can use whatever veggies you have on hand. The curry-peanut dressing would be great in a stir fry, as a dip for chicken skewers or veggies/fries or as a dressing for a slaw.

Crispy Tofu Bowl w/ Coconut Rice & Curry-Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
14 oz can coconut milk
1 ¼ cup water
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cup basmati rice
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1/3 cup peanut butter
¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
Juice of one lime (2-3 tbsp)
½ cup warm water
14 oz block organic, extra firm tofu
½ tsp curry powder
2 tbsp cornstarch
Diced mango
Shredded carrots
Diced bell pepper
Baby spinach
Cilantro, chopped
Crushed peanuts

Directions:

• In medium saucepan, bring coconut milk, water, sugar, salt and rice to a bowl. Stir, reduce heat, cover and simmer for approx. 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. The bottom may get a little golden brown crisp which is greeeeaaaat.
• Cut the tofu into bite sized pieces and place on a paper towel lined plate. Use another paper towel to press the top and get out as much moisture as possible. Let those sit while you make the dressing.
• To prepare the dressing, heat a tbsp of oil over medium high heat and cook the shallots, garlic and ginger until soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add in the curry paste and cook until it begins to darken in color, about 2-3 minutes. Place in a medium bowl and whisk in peanut butter, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and lime juice. Slowly mix in water until you get desired consistency. Optional to add hot sauce.
• Wipe the skillet clean and place back on heat, add 1-2 tbsp of oil. Toss tofu pieces with curry powder, cornstarch and a pinch of salt. Fry in pan until crisp and golden, 2-3 minutes on each side.
• Assemble bowl with coconut rice, mango, carrots, bell pepper, spinach, tofu, cilantro and crushed peanuts (optional). Serve with curry peanut sauce.