Tofu Satay with Tangy Dipping Sauce
Submitted by mapa
Grilled tofu satay skewers with a creamy coconut-peanut satay sauce and a tangy vinegar-chili dipping sauce. A vegan take on the Southeast Asian classic with bold curry and lemongrass flavors.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
10 minREADY
4 hrsPressed tofu marinated in a curry-lemongrass paste, double-skewered, and grilled until charred and smoky. Served with two sauces: a rich coconut milk and peanut butter satay sauce, and a tangy vinegar-soy dipping sauce studded with grated carrot and crushed peanuts.
Pressing the tofu for up to three hours is the foundation of this recipe. It removes enough moisture so the tofu can absorb the marinade and develop a firm, meaty texture on the grill. The marinade itself is punchy: peanut oil, lemongrass, garlic, curry powder, chili, and brown sugar blended smooth.
Double-skewering each strip with parallel sticks prevents the tofu from spinning when you flip it on the grill. Simple trick, huge difference.
Chef Tips
- Press the tofu under a heavy plate for at least an hour. Three hours is better. The drier the tofu, the more marinade it absorbs and the better it grills.
- Soak the wooden skewers for 15 minutes before threading. Dry skewers catch fire on the grill.
- Grill over medium-hot coals on a closed grill. The enclosed heat cooks the tofu evenly and creates those desirable char marks.
- Stir the satay sauce constantly over very low heat. Coconut milk and peanut butter can separate and scorch quickly.
Variations
- Use an oven broiler if you don’t have a grill. Broil 4 inches from heat, flipping once.
- Swap tofu for tempeh for a nuttier, firmer texture that grills even better.
- Serve the satay over jasmine rice with the dipping sauce drizzled on top for a plated dinner.
Ingredients
Directions
Drain the tofu and place the cakes between several layers of paper towels.
Weight the top with a heavy plate and leave for 1 to 3 hours.
While draining, prepare the satay sauce and dipping sauce.
SATAY SAUCE: Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
Cook onion and garlic until the onion is wilting, approximately 2 minutes.
Add curry powder and cook for 30 seconds.
Add coconut milk, spy sauce, sugar, pepper, lemongrass and peanut butter.
Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
DIPPING SAUCE: In a small pot over low heat, dissolve sugar in the water.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar, soy sauce and dried chili flakes.
When completely cool, add the carrot and peanuts and serve.
When the tofu has drained, slice each cake lengthwise into 4 strips.
In a food processor, combine oil, lemongrass, garlic, curry powder, chili pepper and sugar and process until smooth.
Pour this mixture over the tofu strips, toss gently to coat the pieces and marinate for an hour at room temperature.
Soak 16 wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes.
Carefully insert two wooden skewers parallel and 1inch apart into each tofu slice.
Oil the grill.
On a closed grill over medium-hot coals, grill the tofu, turning once, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
Serve with satay sauce and dipping sauce.
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