ramyaramesh3007These crispy nori-wrapped tofu are pan fried to golden brown perfection and coat in an addictive teriyaki glaze! Vegan and gluten free.
I grew up eating crispy nori-wrapped fried chicken as a snack in my school canteen when I was 10 years old – one of my guilty pleasures was buying these bite sized snacks almost everyday during my 30-minute lunch break. I definitely missed them once I went vegan but these crispy seaweed tofu bites pretty much have the same flavours while being insanely addictive!
Seaweed’s umami-rich taste adds depth and complexity to versatile tofu, giving it a savoury and fishy flavour! In this recipe, we glazed it in an addictive teriyaki sauce and it’s perfect when paired with rice with extra vegetables like broccoli and edamame.
Ingredients You Need
- extra firm tofu – extra firm tofu holds together the best for this recipe
- nori sheets
- corn starch – to make the tofu extra crispy
- neutral oil for frying
- teriyaki sauce
- garlic, ginger
- light soy sauce, mirin, sake, sesame oil, agave
- gochugaru
- corn starch + water
- garnish
- green onions
- toasted sesame seeds
Gluten free substitutions: Use gluten free soy sauce / tamari / coconut aminos.
Allium free substitutions: Omit garlic – instead substitute with a pinch of hing. Omit spring onions and garnish with coriander (optional!)
Crispy Seaweed Tofu
Ingredients
- 450 g extra firm tofu
- 2-3 nori sheets
- 1 cup corn starch
- neutral oil for panfrying
Teriyaki Glaze
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 2 stalks white part of scalions
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp agave
- 1/2 tbsp gochugaru more if you like more spicy!
- 1 tsp corn starch + 1/2 cup water
Garnish
- spring onions
- toasted sesame seeds
- rice
Instructions
- Press the tofu to remove excess water with paper towels. They do not need to be completely dry. Cut tofu into small rectangles.
- Cut nori sheet into thin strips and wrap them around each tofu piece. Coat them in corn starch.
- Heat oil on a pan. Add the tofu cube and pan fry for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy on all sides.
- Remove the tofu from the pan and set it aside.
- In the same pan add the sesame oil. Add the minced garlic and ginger, cooking for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add white part of scallions and the ingredients for the sauce, including the corn starch slurry.
- Mix until the mixture thickens. Add back in the tofu and give that a good but gentle toss.
- Garnish with spring onions, toasted sesame seeds and serve!