This blog post is sponsored by Minute Rice! Thanks for supporting the brands that support Jessica in the Kitchen! All thoughts and opinions are my own! When I shared these tofu bites for our anniversary on my Instagram stories, it quickly became one of my most requested recipes! These bites are sweet, spicy, crunchy and so flavorful that special occasion or not, you’re going to want to whip them up. They actually don’t take long to make at all – the sauce takes about 2 minutes to make, and the rice bowls take less than 10 minutes to make thanks to the use of Minute® Instant White Rice and a 2 minute broccoli blanching process. All in all, this meal deserves a spot on your weeknight and weekend rotation, and is 100% in alignment with spending less time cooking so you can slow down, relax and enjoy the process and the meal!
Notes on the Ingredients
Minute® Instant White Rice – before I even get into the tofu bites, I loved using Minute® Instant Rice here! The process is as simple as boiling your water, adding in your rice, then letting it sit until the water is absorbed. I love starting with the rice making process because it is so easy and convenient to do, and allows me to put the rest of my focus on preparing the tofu and the sauce. My husband has been buying Minute® Instant White Rice for years, and I finally understand why – and have fallen in love with it too! You get the perfect portion/amount each time and I could make this in my sleep at this point! gochujang – also known as red chili paste, gochujang is one of my favourite fermented foods. Please use only 1 tablespoon if you can’t handle spicy food, at minced garlic & ginger– you want this really finely minced to help break down the garlic so there isn’t a sharp bite. I recommend using a mincer, or if doing it by hand, chopping and then pressing/spreading the garlic with your knife to help break it down. sugar – you can use any dry/granulated sugar here. I love using brown or cane sugar but organic white sugar (to ensure it’s vegan) works here too! agave – maple syrup also works too ketchup – for added sweetness and viscosity. Rice wine vinegar – to help thin out the sauce – you could also use water here cornstarch – to coat the tofu to help with the crisping up of it. Cornstarch draws out excess liquid too, so I wouldn’t skip it. sea salt – my preferred salt. Do not use a lot as you’re also adding soy sauce in the seasoning as well as in the sauce. black pepper – for seasoning the tofu. soy sauce – soy sauce is used twice here, in the gochujang sauce and to lightly marinade.
How to Make Tofu Rice Bowls – Step by Step
Prepare Minute® Instant White Rice according to directions of the packaging. In a medium-sized bowl place the pressed and torn tofu. Add in the soy sauce and toss to coat. Add in the sea salt, black pepper, and cornstarch, and toss to thoroughly combine. Heat a pan or wok over medium-high heat, and add the oil. When hot, add the tofu and toss to crisp up on all sides until the tofu is cooked and crisped on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the tofu and place aside for now. In a small bowl, whisk together all the gochujang sauce ingredients – the gochujang, minced garlic, sugar, soy sauce, agave, ketchup and rice wine vinegar. Taste and adjust ingredients if desired. If you started with just the 1 tablespoon of gochujang, taste to see if you can add more depending on the spice level. Add the gochujang sauce into the same pan the tofu was in. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it cook until nice and sticky, about 5 full minutes. Add back in the crispy tofu, stir together completely to coat, then remove from heat. If adding broccoli: in another pan, and add a few tablespoons of water into the pan. Bring to a steady simmer over medium high heat and add in the broccoli florets and cover. Allow to steam for about 2 minutes to essentially blanch the broccoli. Remove from heat, drain excess liquid. Put together your rice bowls: Add over ½ cup rice per bowl (or as much as desired) some of the minute rice, ¼ of the tofu and some of the broccoli. Since the tofu makes so much extra sauce, feel free to drizzle it over the broccoli and the rice. Top with sesame seeds and chopped scallions, serve and enjoy!
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