Fried Rice with Glazed Tofu

If you are anything like me, you will always cook too much rice. The good thing is, leftovers usually make the best dishes!
However, the star of this plate is definitely the glazed tofu: slightly spicy, sticky and bold in flavour. You cannot imagine how many times I’ve heard people say: “I’m just not a fan of tofu, it’s tasteless and boring.” I absolutely agree for some cases, especially if chefs use tofu as a straight up meat replacement and serve a plain block of chewy, white tofu. However, if you season it with a lovely marinade and use the right kind of tofu, it’s definitely a game-changer. One of the most important tips for cooking great tofu is to press out as much water as you can. It will get crispier and soaks up the glaze way better. Also, try and source the firmest tofu you can and go for organic – it really makes a difference in taste.

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Serves 1

• Preheat the oven to 200°C grill and line a tray with some baking paper.

• Cut the tofu into small cubes and pat really dry with some kitchen paper.
• In a cup, mix the soy sauce, ground ginger, maple syrup and 1/2 tsp of coconut oil until combined. Add the tofu and stir well until all the cubes are nicely covered.
• Leave to marinate for at least 10mins.

• Meanwhile, cut the aubergine in half, then into 0.5cm slices and put onto the lined baking tray. Bake under the hot grill for approx. 6mins or until nicely charred and still juicy.
• Remove from the oven and leave to the side.

• Cut all the veg into your preferred shape. I like the leek to be in fine rings, the onion in rough chunks, the carrot in thin strips, the mushrooms in fine slices and the broccoli florets halved lengthwise.
• If you’re using tinned sweet corn, make sure to rinse it under cold water to remove any added sugar and salt (even better: get sugar- and salt-free tinned sweet corn!).

• Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in a wok or a wide non-stick frying pan.
• Add the tofu with all its glaze and turn the heat back to medium-high. Leave it to fry for 2mins on one side, then stir and leave for another couple of minutes on each side. Not stirring all the time helps to nicely caramelise the glaze and make the tofu super sticky and delicious.
• When you’re happy with the look of the tofu, remove from the pan.
• Add the chopped leeks and onion, fry for a couple of minutes.
• Stir in the carrot sticks and cook for another 2mins.
• Chuck in the sweet corn, mushrooms and broccoli and stir constantly for 3mins.

• Now it’s time to add the rice, tofu and grilled aubergine. Mix well, adding a splash of water if it starts to stick to the pan.
• Season with a dash of soy sauce, a good helping of chilli flakes and a sprinkling of parsley and chives. Stir well and keep cooking until it’s steaming hot. Carefully do a taste test, add whatever else is needed – more soy sauce or chilli.
• Serve on a big plate, sprinkled with lemon juice. Drizzle over a generous amount of Sriracha sauce and tuck in. Enjoy!

Optional:
Prefer other veg? This is really one of the best dishes to use up any veg that sits in your fridge. I absolutely love to add green asparagus or courgette. Feel free to cook with any fresh or frozen veg such as sugar snap peas, cauliflower or spinach and let me know your favourite combo!
No brown rice available? I highly recommend using brown rice for it’s rich, nutty taste and nutritional benefits. However, the dish also works perfectly fine with white rice or switch it up and try it with quinoa – so good too!
Still not convinced about tofu? To keep it vegan, add tempeh or quorn, marinate in the same glaze and cook according to the above instructions. For vegetarians, I can recommend to scramble an egg with a dash of soy sauce and add to the dish right at the end. In that case, use fresh ginger and mince finely. Add it to the pan with a dash of maple syrup at the same time as the leeks and onion.