Lemon tofu (gluten free, low FODMAP, vegan option)
Serves 3-4*Cups and measures are in Australian cups and measures. Use gram and ml for international accuracy.
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 450-500 g firm tofu ideally frozen the night before
- 30-75 g gluten free corn starch see notes
- Seasoning to taste
- Neutral high smoke point oil for frying (I use vegetable)
For the lemon sauce:
- 80 ml (1/3 cup)* fresh lemon juice
- 60-80 ml (1/4 – 1/3 cup)* water (see notes)
- 50-75 g white sugar see notes
- 20ml (1 tablespoon) toasted sesame oil
- 2 + teaspoons honey hot honey or maple syrup, as needed (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon gluten free dark soy sauce or Tamari
- 10 g (1 tablespoon) corn starch
- 10 ml (1 tablespoon) water
Optional flavourings:
- Freshly grated ginger to your taste
- Lemon zest to your taste
- Pinch of asafoetida powder
To serve (optional):
- White rice
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Spring onion greens chopped
Instructions
To make the tofu:
- Remove the tofu from any packaging and place it in a pot of salted water. Bring to the boil over a medium heat and allow the tofu to cook for 15-20 minutes. This helps create a spongy textured tofu that is easy to wring excess water out of. The results are more pronounced with frozen tofu, but it works with tofu out of the fridge too.
- Place the corn starch for the tofu in a medium/large mixing bowl and season it to taste. I like to use white pepper here, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Once the tofu has boiled, carefully remove it from the water and place on a cake rack to cool. It should feel a little airy and the corners might flick upwards a little.
- Once cooled, either tear or slice to tofu into small, bite sized chunks. I like to tear it to create craggy tofu edges.
- Preheat a large skillet with a thin layer of neutral high smoke point oil.
- Toss the tofu pieces in the corn starch thoroughly to coat.
- Place about 1/3 of the tofu in the pan. Cook on all sides until the tofu is crisp and browned.
- Cook the tofu in batches to allow for maximum crispiness. Once cooked, remove and place on a cooling rack or a plate.
To make the sauce:
- In a small/medium saucepan, combine the lemon juice, water, sugar, toasted sesame oil, honey or maple syrup and soy sauce. Add any optional flavourings here if you are using them. Taste and adjust the sauce here to account for the acidity of your lemons and your own personal preferences.
- Place them over a low/medium heat and allow to cool for 5 or so minutes until they begin to bubble.
- In a small bowl, combine the corn starch and water to form a slurry. This will prevent the corn starch from distributing unevenly or forming little gritty balls.
- Once the sauce is bubbling, pour in the corn starch mix. It should begin to thicken almost immediately. Stir well to incorporate and allow to cook for a few minutes until it reaches your desired consistency. Note that it will thicken further as it cools.
- Drizzle your desired amount of sauce over the tofu cubes. This batch makes a generous quantity of sauce – you can use it all on the tofu (even if it looks runny to begin with, it will thicken as it cools) or save some for drizzling over vegetables/rice.
- I like to serve the lemon tofu with rice, spring onion greens and toasted sesame seeds, but you can serve it with whatever you like.
Notes
Tofu that is frozen the night before and then boiled has a super spongy and light texture. It’s optional but I love the texture so much more than regular tofu.
Corn starch helps create a craggy, crispy textured tofu. You can use as little or as much as you like.
Lemons vary dramatically in their acidity and sourness. If you are dealing with some particularly sour lemons, consider using a little less lemon juice or more sugar.
If you prefer a thick sauce, use 60ml (1/4 cup) water as opposed to 80ml (1/3 cup). You can also experiment with making the sauce before the tofu, as the sauce thickens up as it cools.
Regular honey is low FODMAP in 1 teaspoon serving sizes. This means you can safely use 3-4 teaspoons of honey, depending on how many people this dish will serve. For a vegan option, use maple syrup to taste.
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