Meera Sodha Zesty Tofu Recipe: A Tangy Delight with a Crunchy Twist

Meera Sodha. This column’s cool because it’s not just about writing for you; it’s about asking myself what I want to eat. When I pen recipes for you all, I consider the seasons, what might tickle your taste buds, and when the weather might play its part. But this recipe, this one’s personal. It’s what I’d chow down on at my table. It’s bold in flavor, yet cozy to eat. It’s a mix of warm comfort and fresh crunch. And it’s speedy – perfect for the holiday season’s merry vibe.

Ingredients and Prep for Burnt Lime and Black Pepper Tofu

Cooking Time: 35 minutes | Serves: 4

Gather your tools: a 28cm nonstick frying pan. For a delightful pairing, serve it up with some pre-cooked jasmine rice that stays warm for about an hour after cooking. You’ll likely find mushroom stir-fry sauce in most big supermarkets.

Tofu Steps

Begin by pressing the tofu gently with kitchen paper to get rid of any extra water. Then, chop it into 2½cm cubes and toss them in a big bowl with cornflour. Set this aside for now.

Grab a wide, nonstick frying pan and heat up half a tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Drop in the lime halves, cut side down, and let them sizzle for three minutes until they’re slightly blackened. 

Meera Sodha.. Move those lime halves to a large plate, add three more tablespoons of oil to the pan, and throw in enough tofu cubes to form a single layer. Fry them for a few minutes on each side until they turn a lovely golden brown, which should take about six minutes in total. Transfer these golden cubes to the plate with the lime. Repeat this process with the remaining tofu, maybe adding a bit more oil for the second batch.

Now, toss in three more tablespoons of oil into the hot pan and start frying the onion. Keep stirring for about 10 minutes until it’s soft and starts getting a bit of color. Add in the garlic and shredded spring onions, and cook for an additional two minutes until the spring onions are tender. Then stir in the mushroom stir-fry sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and black pepper.

Return the fried tofu to the pan, squeeze in the juice from one of the blackened lime halves (about a tablespoon), stir it all up, and let it bubble away for a few minutes until the sauce thickens up and coats the tofu. Once it’s done, take the pan off the heat.

Putting Together the Salad

In a bowl, mix up the sliced red onion, little gem lettuce leaves, quartered cherry tomatoes, and a pinch of salt. Drizzle in two tablespoons of oil and the juice from another burnt lime half. Toss it all together (clean hands work best here!).

Spread this salad mix on a large platter and nestle those flavorful tofu cubes among the leaves. Cut the remaining burnt lime halves into wedges for squeezing over at the table. Serve it up with a side of jasmine rice.

This burnt lime and black pepper tofu recipe is a zesty explosion of flavors – a blend of tangy goodness and a satisfying crunch, perfect for a quick, vibrant meal any time of year.