Grill/Barbecue

Mideast Grilled Tofu with Studded Rice & Spicy Herb Sauce

June 12, 2016
1
1 Ratings
Photo by Maley Maley
  • Serves 4 - 6
Author Notes

Inspired by some of my favorite Middle Eastern flavors, this dish brings together smoky grilled tofu, richly flavored rice, and a bright, fresh, mildly spicy herb sauce.

The recipe comes together fairly quickly; while the grill is heating and the rice is cooking, you can prepare the additional ingredients for the rice. —Maley Maley

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the tofu & sauce
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • zest and juice of 2 limes
  • 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sumac
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon za'atar
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2/3 cup lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 scallions, roughly chopped
  • 20 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into half-inch slices
  • For the rice
  • 2 cups jasmine rice
  • 1 cup dried fruit (golden raisins, currants, cherries, chopped apricots, or a mixture)
  • 1 cup toasted nuts (chopped pistachios or cashews, sliced or slivered almonds, or a mixture)
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon sumac
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • zest and juice of one large orange
  • juice of one lime
  • salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. For the tofu & sauce
  2. Mix oil, lime zest and juice, 2 tablespoons salt, pepper, sumac, turmeric, and cumin together in a shallow, flat-bottomed dish. Cover each slice of tofu thoroughly in the mixture and marinate, at least 30 minutes. Note: I used Wildwood brand extra-firm tofu, which doesn't require pressing to get rid of extra water. If you're using a different brand, you may want to press it; in any case, blotting it dry to get rid of extra moisture is a good idea.
  3. While the tofu is marinating, combine the remaining ingredients and 1 tablespoon Kosher salt in a blender to make the herb sauce. Set aside.
  4. Prepare your grill, making sure the grates are clean and well-oiled, and . When the grill is hot, place the tofu slices over medium heat, reserving the leftover marinade. Grill for about ten minutes; flip, brush with marinade, grill for another ten minutes. Flip once more, brush with marinade, and remove from grill. Serve over the rice and top each slice with about a tablespoon of the herb sauce.
  1. For the rice
  2. Combine rice and three cups water in a rice cooker and prepare according to manufacturer instructions.
  3. Heat butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and sauté 2 minutes. Add the scallions and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for another 2 minutes. Stir in the honey, orange zest and juice; cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. When rice is ready, stir together rice, nuts, fruit, skillet contents, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined.
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6 Reviews

CMcK July 15, 2020
Oof! The salt! 2 tablespoons is way too much for the marinade
 
drbabs June 18, 2016
Am I missing something? There's no tofu listed in the recipe ingredients.
 
Maley M. June 18, 2016
Ack. You're not missing anything, I did -- when I was editing, I seem to have deleted the tofu. I used 20 oz. of extra firm tofu sliced into 1/2 inch thick slabs. I'm trying to figure out how to edit the ingredients list now in order to add it back. Thank you for your sharp eye!
 
drbabs June 18, 2016
SInce it's being tested, you won't be able to edit it. Contact the editors at [email protected] and they'll fix it for you.
 
drbabs June 18, 2016
Do you press the water out of the tofu slabs?
 
Maley M. June 18, 2016
Hi there, it did let me edit it, so the ingredient list and instructions should be more accurate now -- so sorry about that! I didn't press the tofu because the extra-firm brand (Wildwood) I get at my co-op is already very dry, but I do typically blot it with a towel before adding it to any marinade. Thanks again for letting me know about the error, and I hope you enjoy the recipe!