Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Balls - 素照烧豆腐球
If you are looking for a simple and quick meal, then, give these Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Balls a try. The recipe is easy-to-follow and made with simple pantry ingredients. It has a nice glazed Teriyaki sauce that's made from ginger, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar that is so delicious with a bowl of rice.
Servings: 3 people
Ingredients
- 16 oz firm tofu drained well (see instructions)
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped kale stems
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped carrot
- 2 tablespoons chopped toasted cashew
- 4 tablespoons corn starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ black pepper
- 2 cups broccoli florets blanched
- oil for cooking
Teriyaki Sauce*
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce gluten-free
- 3 tablespoons mirin
- 1½ tablespoon sugar or 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ⅔ cup of water with 1 tablespoon corn starch
Garnish
- chopped scallions or cilantro
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
How to Make Tofu Balls
- Prepare the tofu: Remove tofu from its package and place it in a nut milk bag. Squeeze the tofu to mash it into a paste and to remove the liquid. The less liquid the better so the tofu will bind properly with other ingredients.
- Transfer mashed tofu into a large bowl.
- Add in finely chopped kale stems, carrots, and cashews.
- Season with salt and pepper then gradually add in the cornstarch. Mix everything together until well-combined.
- Take a heaping tablespoon of tofu and place it on your palm. Roll it into a ball and continue until you finish with the rest of the ingredients.
- Heat a large pan or wok, and add in enough oil which is tall enough for the tofu balls to float in it during cooking.
- Once the oil is heated, fry tofu balls until they turn golden brown.
- Remove tofu balls and transfer to a plate with paper towels to absorb excess oil and set aside. Please see Notes for other ways of cooking the tofu balls.
How to put together
- Next, blanch broccoli florets in hot water until they turn into a darker green. Remove and drain out the water. See Notes below.
- Heat a large pan and add in about ½ tablespoon oil.
- Sauté ginger until fragrant, then add in the rest of the sauce ingredients.
- Once the sugar has melted, add in the tofu balls. Quickly toss to coat the tofu balls with sauce and let the mixture simmer until it starts to thicken.
- Push the ingredients to the side and add in the blanched broccoli.
- Toss to combine and garnish with chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Other ways to cook the Tofu Balls:
- For air-fryer, I normally use the 'fries' settings and 'fry' these until golden brown, about 10 - 12 minutes, and with a shake in between. Please note that the color may be lighter using this method.
- To bake these, lay the tofu balls on a greased pan. Then, brush them with a thin layer of oil. Bake at about 425°F - 450°F (220°C - 230°C) until golden brown and firm to touch about 25 - 30 minutes.
- How to Blanch Broccoli
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, then add in a drizzle of oil and season with a pinch of salt.
- Add in the broccoli florets and cook until they turn a darker green. The darker the color, the softer the florets will be. Adjust the cooking time based on the crunch you prefer.
- Using a fine mesh, remove the broccoli florets and drain out as much water as possible. Set aside until ready to use.
- Teriyaki Sauce - this sauce is enough to season the blanched broccoli as well. If you prefer less sauce, save the sauce for future use.