Description
Golden coconut tofu with crushed pineapple served with broccolini and basmati. A vegetarian delight! So damn tasty!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 packages of extra firm tofu (the 14-ounce packages)
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups of sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 can of crushed pineapple (8 ounce can, more if you want)
- 2 packages/bundles of broccolini
- 1 clove of garlic, finely diced
- 2 eggs
- 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
- canola oil for frying
- red pepper flakes, optional garnish
- lemon wedges, optional squeeze for broccolini
- chopped scallion, optional garnish
Basmati Rice
- 2 cups basmati rice, well washed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Don’t forget to watch my video for all the step-by-step instructions.
- If you’re making the basmati rice with this, you should start cooking the rice first. It will be finished by the time you’re through cooking. Follow the package instructions and make sure you wash the rice thoroughly.
- Beat the eggs and pour into a wide bowl suitable for a dredging station.
- Pour coconut flakes into a wide bowl as well so it’s easier for dredging.
- Finely dice the garlic and add to a pan with olive oil and broccolini. I didn’t need to trim the bottom stems of mine – they were in good shape. Take a look at yours and trim if necessary. Set the pan aside on the stove top for now.
- Prep the tofu. Drain the water from the tofu packages. Wrap each block of tofu in paper towel to soak up some of the moisture. I find that extra firm tofu works best for this recipe. Other, softer tofus may fall apart too easily. Cut each block into five rectangles, then cut each rectangle into two triangles.
- Dip the tofu triangles in egg and cover completely, then dip into the coconut. Cover the tofu in the coconut and you can press gently here to make sure it’s adhering. Then place the tofu on a sheet pan or large plate.
- If you are using the optional lemon wedges and scallion you can chop them here.
- Heat the canola oil on medium-to-high heat. You’ll probably need about one inch of oil since this is a shallow fry. We’re not submerging the tofu in oil. Once the oil is hot enough to sizzle, start adding the tofu to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until the coconut turns golden brown. I used a small spoon plus tongs when I turned the pieces. Using tongs alone may break the tofu in half. Remember - tofu is delicate. In between cooking the batches of tofu, I removed any browned coconut flakes from the pan so they don’t burn. You can use it to garnish the platter later if you want. Transfer cooked pieces onto a paper-towel lined sheet pan.
- At the same time, in the other pan, turn the broccolini on low-to-medium heat and give it a toss around the pan to get the pieces coated in the olive oil a little. I use a sauté/steam method for this. I alternated between keeping the lid on, then removing it to stir, then putting the lid back on until the broccolini is tender. I added a little water to the pan about half-way through cooking. Should take about 8 minutes for al dente. Cook to your desired tenderness.
- Open the can of crushed pineapple and put some in a ramekin for serving. Arrange tofu and broccolini on a platter and serve with red pepper flakes and lemon wedges if you like. Sprinkle chopped scallions around if using. It’s nice to squeeze a little fresh lemon on the broccolini too.