Spicy, Garlicky Cashew Tofu
I haven't tested this recipe yet, but it looks delicious. It's adapted from a chicken recipe that appeared this week in the New York Times food section. The original recipe called for three pounds of chicken, so you can do the tofu calculations accordingly. (I'd do 1-2 packages for a potluck and save any remaining marinade). If you try this recipe let us know how it is.
1 cup roasted, salted cashew nuts
6 tablespoons chopped cilantro, with some stems
1/4 cup canola or safflower oil
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1-2 jalapeno peppers, sliced
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
1-3 (use your judgment) packages of extra firm tofu
1. In a blender or food processor, combine nuts, 2 tablespoons cilantro, oil, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, jalapeno, lime juice and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
2. Cut tofu into slabs or fingers or bite-sized pieces and coat with the marinade. If you want, you can let it marinate at room temperature or in the fridge for a bit.
3. Preheat broiler or grill (or if you don't have a broiler or grill, turn your oven on reasonably high). Cook the tofu until the marinade is brown/bubbling and/or the tofu is firm and/or however long you like.
4. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve with any remaining cashew mixture.
posted by RR @ 2:10 PM
4 Comments:
I just made this for a picnic. The sauce is yummy, but the tofu didn't absorb it so well, probably because it was so thick. I also think 2 lb of tofu is the max for this recipe (I actually wish I'd doubled the sauce, but I like things saucy). Ditto if you're making it with chicken.
If I were to make this again, with either tofu or chicken (and I probably will), I would either use 5-spice tofu or marinate the tofu/chicken overnight in some light soy sauce and lime juice. I'd also add some additional brown sugar to the sauce and maybe some fresh ginger.
I added some broccoli florettes this time, and I think it worked well. I broiled the dish for 10 minutes, which was just right for crisp-tender broccoli, but if I wanted to serve it warm I would have left it in another 5 mins. I also added some cashew pieces at the end.
Thanks for being the test cook. Good tips-- I'll try them this way when I make it.
Mmmm... We have some tofu in the fridge that we have been meaning to use and this idea sounds great! Thanks!
ways to make it work with tofu:
1. if the marinade is more diluted, the tofu will absorb the flavors better. so, add some hot water to the blender mixture
2. make it with seitan, which has a more chicken- like texture and tastes quite good when it has a sauce on the outside that doesnt fully absorb. the seitan that comes in the tofu-like box with the yellow label is the best for this.
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