Sweet and sticky ginger tofu (low FODMAP, vegan option)

This sweet and sticky ginger tofu has been something I’ve been teasing for a while now. It fell to the wayside a little as a result of my recent trip to Thailand, but we’re back on topic. It is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that is low FODMAP, gluten free and easily made vegan. 

This sweet and sticky tofu is made with firm tofu that is pan fried. A sauce of Tamari, honey or maple syrup, rice vinegar, chilli oil and ginger coats the tofu before serving for a crispy, saucy and delicious tofu. Spring onion greens bring a dose of low FODMAP flavour.

I love the simplicity of this tofu and how its bold flavour pairs so nicely with a simple plate of rice and greens. I daresay the sauce and method of cooking would also work for things like cauliflower or other vegetables, if you would prefer not to use tofu. 

The only thing of note for FODMAPpers is the tofu: 170g per serve is deemed a green light portion by Monash as of February 2026. This means that the tofu component will need to be divided into three portions.

Honey is FODMAP friendly in 1 teaspoon (7g) serves. If you’d prefer (and if you double the sauce) use maple syrup.

Finally, spring onion greens are low FODMAP in serves of up to 97g. We’re using far less than this for the whole dish.

Ingredient notes for your sweet and sticky ginger tofu

• If you can’t have corn flour/corn starch, I highly recommend glutinous rice flour. It is gluten free (glutinous as in sticky rice) and works in SO MANY applications where cornstarch is suggested. I think it is my favourite coating starch now. If you cannot have that either, I suggest potato starch.
• The easy swap to make this dish completely vegan: use maple syrup instead of honey.
• Toasted sesame oil is so much more tasty than un-toasted, so try to find it if you can. The default at Australian supermarkets used to be untoasted but I get the sense that is changing.
• That said, you can always use a plain flavoured oil if you can’t have sesame. Make sure you use vegetable oil or another bland flavoured oil for any peanut allergies as well.
• Firm tofu only! Anything less will not hold up to frying.
• You can use any rice and any green you have on hand. Spring onion greens are a FODMAP friendly but optional addition. I like to cook some with the tofu and add some to garnish, but you can do what you prefer.

Recipe notes for your sweet and sticky tofu

I am loathe to make you wash more dishes than you need to. However, in this instance, I recommend using two saucepans. The tofu needs enough oil to get nice and crispy without under or overdoing it. It also needs a higher heat. The result? When you pour the sauce into the saucepan, it quickly starts to cook and potentially burn. It might also get too much oil from the pan. I find the best and most surefire way to cook this tofu is to do it in two saucepans.

Personally, I prefer to tear the tofu into bite sized chunks for this dish. The different sized chunks present a visual and textural interest that I like. Plus, the craggy bits get nice and crispy and it’s just quicker and easier to do.

I love ginger, a lot. In the absence of onion and garlic, I think it really delivers on flavour. I add a lot of ginger to this dish – in the sauce, raw over the tofu and raw into the rice. I personally don’t think it’s overpowering and I got the stamp of approval from my ginger apathetic sister. Add to taste if you’re not into ginger, though. 

I have found it is quite easy to take this tofu into too salty territory. All soy sauces and tamari brands seem to have different salinity levels so I would recommend adding to taste and adding conservatively. If you find your tofu comes out too salty, simply mix it into the rice and greens and it should all even out. 

Notes on doubling the sauce

Feedback in the comments suggested the need for a double batch of the sauce. I have gone about doubling the recipe and here is what I used. Firstly, I used 3 tablespoons of glutinous rice flour on the tofu. Glutinous rice (aka sticky rice flour) is a starchy variety of rice flour that is naturally gluten free. You can buy it in Asian grocers and in the Asian section of the supermarket in Australia.

4 tablespoons Tamari
2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons white rice vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
LOADS of freshly grated ginger (I used about 50g)
Spring onion greens, to your tastes
1 tablespoon glutinous rice flour
3-4 tablespoons water, to thin the sauce to my desired consistency (added after cooking the sauce)

I will say that the measurements are subject to your preferences and tastes. I recommend adding the lower quantities first then tasting and assessing.

Another thing I recommend is being open to adding more of something after you have cooked the tofu and sauce. I found that the sauce tasted a little bit different raw than it did cooked. To me, it tasted a bit saltier and less sweet than it did pre-cooking. I also needed to add more ginger.

One last thing: I found that it required water to thin it out a little. Be open to adding water as necessary to achieve your desired consistency. Add it after cooking the sauce and only as necessary. This might vary between the thickening starches and you might only use 2-3 teaspoons instead of 1 tablespoon. The recipe is very adaptable and open to amendments as you see fit.

How much rice do I need to serve with this tofu?

I’m not really into telling people how much rice to cook. Firstly, it’s entirely a preference thing and an appetite thing. Secondly, I never measure it anyway. Thirdly, you might want leftover rice! Who am I to make that call for you?!

What I will highly suggest, however, is how to serve your rice. Add toasted sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, salt and freshly microplaned ginger, to taste. An incredibly easy way to jazz up rice if you’d like to jazz it up. It’s not always necessarily, obviously, but because the sauce of the tofu coats only the tofu it is a nice injection of flavour. 

Is rice gluten free?

A commonly asked question is whether rice is gluten free. Yes, rice of all varieties (even glutinous rice) are gluten free. Like quinoa, sorghum and buckwheat, rice is 100% gluten free and a great addition to these sweet and sticky ginger tofu bowls. If you have coeliac disease, consider double checking that the rice is manufactured somewhere that doesn’t also manufacture gluten containing products.

More low FODMAP tofu recipes

• My crispy pan fried tofu guide and recipe
• Low FODMAP vegan bolognese
• Vegan Vietnamese coleslaw with crispy tofu
• Low FODMAP vegan chicken noodle soup
• The vegan, gluten free sausage rolls from Intolerance Friendly Kitchen

Sweet and sticky ginger tofu

FODMAP friendly, gluten free, vegan option

4.88 from 8

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 4 people with rice

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For sweet and sticky ginger sauce (see notes):

• 2-3 tablespoons tamari or gluten free soy sauce see notes
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey for a non-vegan option)
• 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar to taste
• 1 tablespoon chilli oil I use quick sesame oil based one or sesame oil
• Freshly grated ginger to taste
• 1/2 bunch spring onion greens chopped
• White or black pepper to taste
• Chilli flakes to taste (optional)
• 2 teaspoons cornflour or glutinous rice flour see notes
• Extra fresh ginger to finish (optional)

For the crispy tofu:

• Vegetable or peanut oil for cooking the tofu
• 2-3 tablespoons cornflour or glutinous rice flour
• Good pinch of white or black pepper
• 500 g firm tofu

To finish:

• 2-3 bunches of Asian greens thoroughly washed and chopped (I like to use pak and bok choi)
• A handful of green beans trimmed and chopped (optional)
• Cooked rice seasoned with salt
• Toasted sesame oil
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Extra microplaned ginger

Instructions

 

• Steam or cook your rice and thoroughly drain it. Season with salt, sesame oil, sesame seeds and freshly microplaned ginger and set aside.
• Whisk together the ingredients for the ginger sauce in a medium bowl. Add the Tamari/soy sauce conservatively, as I find it quite easy to make this dish borderline too salty. Adjust for taste and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet with a thin coating of vegetable or peanut oil over a medium high heat.
• Mix the cornflour and pepper together in a medium bowl. Pat the tofu dry lightly, then tear it into bite sized chunks and add it to the bowl of cornflour. Toss to coat the tofu thoroughly.
• Carefully add half the tofu to the pan and give each piece a bit of space. Cook until golden brown, then flip and repeat until all sides are golden. Repeat with the remaining tofu, adding more oil if necessary.
• Add a teaspoon or two of oil to a new large saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Once warm, add the sauce and cook for a few seconds until it begins to thicken. Add the tofu cubes and toss quickly to coat in the sauce before removing from the heat.
• Wilt the Asian greens and beans with a bit of sesame oil and water. Once verdant green and beginning to soften, remove from the heat.
• Plate everything up and serve with leftover spring onion greens, some extra sesame seeds and perhaps an extra drizzle of sesame seed oil.

Notes

• Based on feedback, I have included a doubled sauce option in the body of the post. If you like things saucy, have a read of that before making the dish. 

Keyword low fodmap vegan, Vegetarian

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