Spicy Pan-Fried Sesame-Lime-Coconut Tofu

A friend posted that they had made this recipe a while back, and it looked tasty and intriguing -- so I also wanted to try it.  As I was starting to put it together, though, I decided to make some modifications.  This is my revised version of the original:

Note -- Things that are grouped by color in my ingredient lists can be measured out into bowls together while getting your Mise en Place, to streamline your process as well as minimize the number of things you'll have to clean later. Anything left white/un-highlighted should be kept separate by itself.

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup of Coconut Milk
• The Zest and Juice of 2 Limes
• 2 Tablespoons of Sambal Oelek
• 1 Tablespoon of Light Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup of Sesame Oil
• a pinch of Kosher Salt
• 10 twists of freshly cracked White Pepper
• 1 package (mine was 14 ounces) of Extra Firm Tofu (pressed to reduce moisture, then cut into about 14 or so pieces)
• ½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
• 2 Tablespoons of Sesame Seeds (I used a mix of black and white)
• 2 Tablespoons of shredded Coconut, very lightly toasted
• ½ teaspoon of freshly cracked White Pepper
• a pinch of Kosher Salt
• 1 large Egg
• enough neutral oil to fill your skillet about 1/8" (I keep Safflower on hand)
• fresh Chives, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk all the marinade ingredients together (highlighted red above) until emulsified.
2. Place the Tofu slices in a shallow pan or dish, and pour the marinade over.  Refrigerate for anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours (it happens to be Sunday, so I had time to start early -- and marinated mine for about 3 hours).  Flip the slices over halfway through whatever your marinating time is.
3. When you're ready to cook, mix all the breading ingredients together (highlighted orange above) in a shallow bowl.  In a separate shallow bowl, whisk the Egg.
4. Heat the Neutral Oil in a skillet or other shallow pan.
5. Shake off excess marinade; and gently dip each piece of Tofu into the Egg, then dredge in the Sesame-Seed/Coconut Panko mixture, and then pan-fry them (aiming to maintain the oil at medium-high heat) for several minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside.  Drain on paper towels.
6. In a separate, small pan -- heat and whisk the extra marinade to form a finishing sauce.
7. Serve with your choice of rice, vegetables, and/or noodles.  (I went with Baby Spinach sauteed with Shallots, Salt, and Pepper; plus some Baby Carrots leftover from another meal).  Drizzle a spoonful or two of the sauce on top of the Tofu; and sprinkle the finished plate with some Chopped Chives and, if desired, additional Sesame Seeds.

This post is a semi-original recipe that I adapted from Nik Sharma's.

My goal is to share my love of food simply -- without all the fluff (unless it's Marshmallow Fluff!), long winded stories, excessive and repetitive photos, or incessant rambling that I see on other blogs.  I personally tend to skip over all that, just scrolling straight to the bottom in hopes of finding the recipe right away.  Therefore, I hope you appreciate the brevity above.

** You'll also never find ads here. **

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or

contact me directly using the form near the top of the right-hand column.