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Spicy Ginger-Orange Tofu

by:
July  6, 2012
4
5 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This vegan, gluten free dinner tastes like take-away without the cost-- & maybe on the table even faster. —we eat. happy.

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Ingredients
  • 1 lb. extra-firm tofu, rinsed, well-drained, cut into 1" cubes
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 inch peel of an orange
  • sea salt & cracked pepper
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice (keep 2 1" pieces of orange peel too)
  • 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh ginger, sliced & minced
  • 1/4 cup garlic, minced
  • (optional) 1 chili of your hotness-choice, diced
  • 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Directions
  1. Toss tofu, corn starch, orange peel, sea salt & cracked pepper together in a bowl & set aside.
  2. Whisk together vinegar, brown sugar, oj & pepper; & set aside
  3. In a large pan over medium high heat, cook tofu in in oils for 4-5 minutes or until the tofu begins to turn golden. Add scallions, ginger, garlic & optional chili & continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the vinegar & sugar mixture & cook until the liquid has reduced about half & begins to look a bit sticky (3-4 minutes). Add tamari & sesame seeds & cook for another minute.
  4. Serve with jasmine rice & steamed veggies (as you can see here, my veg of choice was broccoli--still with a bit of crunch).
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17 Reviews

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kikimm September 28, 2020
Delicious! Tofu is always a hard sell for my very carnivorous partner, so I was pleasantly surprised to hear this was his favorite tofu dish I've ever made! Like others, I did fry the tofu separately, incorporating it into the sauce at the last moment. I also added red bell pepper for crunch and freshness, and grated some orange peel into the sauce as I do prefer a pretty strong orange flavor. I can see this one getting heavy rotation in our house.
kikimm September 28, 2020
Delicious! Tofu can be a hard sell for my very carnivorous partner, so it was quite the compliment to hear that this was the best tofu dish I've ever made. Simple, but so satisfying. Like others, I also fried the tofu separately and incorporated it into the sauce at the last moment. A red bell pepper provided some much-needed crunch and freshness, and I did grate some orange peel into the sauce as well. I can see this one being added to the list of heavy rotation meals in our house.
jayaymeye February 25, 2018
This was delicious! I made some modifications: added more orange juice (about 1/3 cup fresh orange juice) and cooked the tofu separately, finally adding all the cooked-down sauce together with some veggies at the end. Really great recipe. Thanks!
cindy March 14, 2017
LOVE LOVE LOVE these flavors. Added 4 oz mushrooms and almost a whole green pepper sliced...when the tofu is just about done. Added a bit more orange juice and a bit more veg oil to accommodate the extra veggies. Served with szechuan orange spice linguini and broccolini!!! Unbelievable.
CzechMate February 2, 2017
Absolutely delicious. Will make again for sure!
JazzzyJ10 May 1, 2015
I made this tonight for dinner. I used half chicken and half tofu, and even though the latter didn't brown as well as I'd hoped, the finished product was delicious. I served it along side brown rice and broccoli rabe (which I had thought was broccolini when I purchased it!). I blanched it 3 times to rid it of some of the bitterness, and the flavor that remained was a nice contrast to the sweet/tangy/spicy sauce. I will definitely make this again :)
Broccolini Q. December 29, 2014
On rotation for my week night meals, and we love the ginger! I prefer some saltiness, and will try some soy sauce in the vinegar sugar mixture prior to simmer. Thanks for the tasty dish!
JamieATL May 7, 2014
Made this tonight - so delicious. I have wondered how my local vegetarian restaurant gets the tofu so crispy. Thanks for letting me know. I made this last minute so we didn't have fresh ginger or scallions - didn't miss it. Served with roasted cauliflower. Everyone loved it.
Jan G. January 5, 2014
THis was delicious. Will make again. Did have a little trouble getting tofu to brown and did mix the cornstarch into the juice/br. sugar mix.
Eva December 12, 2013
It's rare that I follow a recipe for tofu or stir-fried dishes at all, let alone to the letter, but I was looking for something new and this perfectly fit the bill. I was worried it would be too sweet, but it wasn't at all: the orange flavor was delicate and unusual. My dining companions commented that it was like a much better version of orange chicken.

I added some stir-fried broccoli and collards from our CSA box, and the sauce was plenty to coat all of it without being Too saucy. Really great dish!
Eva December 12, 2013
Oh, one note: if your tofu isn't really really well-drained (i.e., dry), the cornstarch coating won't have a chance to crisp up and will turn gluey. Ditto if you crowd your pan with too much tofu at once. If you're in a hurry, as I was, I would stir-fry the tofu without the cornstarch (or less of it) and make a slurry of cornstarch and cold water to add alongside the sauce, which will thicken the sauce and make it a little glossy. I didn't do this, but will next time if I don't have time to properly drain my tofu. I don't think the sauce depends on crispy tofu at all -- ours was soft and a bit broken up, but everyone loved it.
Vanessa C. August 16, 2013
cant wait to try this yummi dinner!
mstv June 2, 2013
Made this tonight and it was really good. I wasn't exactly sure from the description how much orange peel to use. I used 3 1x2 inch sections. My husband ate them out of the dish once prepared, declaring them delicious. I was a little worried about the amount of vinegar and while it is a lot and you can taste it it complements the orange flavor well. I used light soy sauce instead of tamari and I was out of sesame seeds so I left those out. I was also out of scallions so I used a tiny red onion, sliced. Served with steamed broccoli and steamed jasmine rice. Delicious!
McPoLanders December 28, 2012
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! Instead of a pepper, I used a 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes and it worked great. This is a keeper!
AntoniaJames July 18, 2012
This recipe really appeals to me. Can't wait to try it! ;o)
susan G. July 12, 2012
Thank you for a delightful dinner tonight! With quinoa, peppers and squash, we were very happy. I re-ordered the recipe -- used the vinegar mix as a marinade, drained and browned the tofu, added the chopped chile +, then continued as you did. Just a little simpler. The chile was just right too.
we E. July 18, 2012
That's great, I am also glad it wasn't too spicy (I tend to like a little spice)! I will have to try it with the quinoa.