One of the best and simple tofu and fresh basil leaves recipe for your vegetarian or vegan weeknight meal or weekend dinner. This dish is not only easy to make but also very tasty that you will only crave for more and more. I always prefer tofu over paneer. Tofu is gluten-free and low in calorie. It is an excellent source of plant based protein, iron, and calcium and contains no cholesterol. It is made from soybean curds. Extra firm tofu is what I use in most of my recipes. It has least amount of liquid and always gives crispy and firm texture on the outside and meaty like on the inside which will make you fall in love with tofu. I am not a big fan of soft tofu or silken tofu. Firm tofu is OK but I must say Extra firm tofu is the best. Remove as much liquid as possible from tofu to make it more crispier. To do this you will have to place weight on tofu. Keep some paper towels on plate. Wrap the tofu block in paper towel. Place another plate or cutting board on top of this and place heavy item on like bowl of water or canned items. keep this aside for 15 minutes. Stir fries are best when prepared fresh and served immediately. if there are any leftovers, you can place them in fridge in air tight container for 3 days. Tofu stir fry tastes great with steamed white rice, brown rice or even with noodles.
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Preparation time : 25 minutes Serves : 2
Extra Firm Tofu or Paneer - 14 oz ( 1 block) Onion chopped - 1 Garlic cloves - 6 Green chilli - 2 to 3 (adjust to taste) Ginger grated - 1 inch Fresh Basil leaves - ½ cup Soya Sauce - 1 to 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce - 1 tsp* Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp Dried basil leaves - 1 tsp Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce - 1 tsp Brown sugar - 1 tsp Red chile powder - ½ teaspoon (optional) Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp Salt to taste
Heat oil in non-stick pan. Cut the tofu into desired shape. Stir-fry the tofu till it develops some color. Using pestle and mortar nicely crush the garlic and green chilli. Once the tofu is developed some color, add onion, ginger and crushed garlic, green chilli to the pan and saute till they become light in color. Now add soya sauce, Worcestershire sauce red pepper flakes, dried basil leaves, ketchup, sriracha chilli sauce, salt to taste, brown sugar, red chilli, mix well and saute for about 2 minutes. Chop and add the fresh basil leaves. Mix well. Switch off the flame. Spicy basil Tofu is now ready. Serve hot with steamed rice and enjoy.
Tip:
Vary the amount of green chilies as per your taste. I have combined both dried and fresh basil leaves. You can also use any one of them. Vary all the ingredients, specially the sauces to taste. This is very flexible recipe. Any change in the ingredient quantity will change the taste of the dish but it will be unique and flavorful. You can even add veggies like mushroom, broccoli, spinach for this recipe. Use extra firm tofu for for crispy and firm texture on the outside.
*I have used a vegan / vegetarian version of Worcestershire sauce. Make sure you check the ingredient list in the sauce before you use it
Recipe card
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