Coconut-Caramel Braised Tofu

By Kay Chun

Published Feb. 25, 2023

Coconut-Caramel Braised Tofu
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(3,208)
Comments
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In this quick vegan meal, versatile tofu takes on a flavorful coconut-caramel glaze with minimal effort. It’s simmered in a fragrant braising liquid of rich coconut milk, savory miso and aromatic ginger and garlic until the liquid reduces into a rich, sweet caramel sauce. Lightly charred green beans add subtle smoky notes, but broccoli or cauliflower florets would also work great. A final shower of fresh scallions and tart lime juice balances and brightens the sweet sauce; other herbs like basil or cilantro would also light up the dish in a lovely way. Leftovers can be reheated and tossed with noodles for lunch the next day.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3tablespoons neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
  • 8ounces green beans, trimmed and cut crosswise into thirds
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1(14- to 16-ounce) package firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1small shallot, minced (¼ cup)
  • 2tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1tablespoon peeled minced ginger (from one 1-inch piece)
  • 1cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, stirred
  • 2tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2tablespoons white miso
  • 1tablespoon turbinado sugar
  • ¼cup chopped scallions, plus more for garnish
  • 1tablespoon lime juice, plus wedges for serving
  • Steamed rice and hot sauce, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

388 calories; 26 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 641 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Add green beans, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer green beans to a plate.

  2. Step 2

    Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the tofu to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Push tofu to one side of the skillet and reduce heat to medium. To the empty side, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the shallot, garlic and ginger; stir until well combined and coated in the oil, then mix into the tofu until well incorporated.

  3. Step 3

    Add coconut milk, soy sauce, miso and sugar and bring to a simmer, mashing the miso until it dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces and resembles caramel, about 5 minutes. Stir in reserved green beans, ¼ cup scallions and 1 tablespoon lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Divide braised tofu and green beans over rice. Garnish with more scallions and serve with lime wedges.

Ratings

5 out of 5
3,208 user ratings
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Comments

eliza

Very tasty & easy! Excellent effort:outcome ratio. Made tonight, will definitely make again. After browning tofu I moved it to a plate and made sauce in pan, then when thickened I added tofu back in just to warm. Would be great with chicken instead of tofu too. Next time might dial back the salt a bit (reduce soy sauce to 1-2 tsp and go from there). Didn’t look especially beautiful but tasted awesome. Next time will add slivered jalapeños and cilantro on top.

Ciabnw

Air Fried the Tofu and the Green Beans. Air Fried tofu is considerably easier and healthier than frying. The green beans are marvelous out of the air fryer. Simply added both to the sauce. Next time I might try broccolini and perhaps a couple handfuls of spinach.

Dana

This was great! I tossed the tofu with a tbsp of cornstarch and roasted for 40 mins at 425, and threw in the green beans for the last 15 mins. Used the whole can of coconut milk, and added the green beans in for the 5 min braise.

Blue Green Christopher

This is delicious! Added Thai chili (3), Thai basil (1/2 cup) and 1 leek. I followed a suggestion to bake the tofu - I tossed the tofu with a tablespoon of cornstarch and first cooked at 400 for 40 minutes, adding the green beans for the last 10 minutes. Then went back to the recipe, final browning the green beans on the stove and removed them from heat. Followed another suggestion to make a caramel as the base for this dish - melt the sugar in the base of your pan, stir well for about 1 min before adding the aromatics - garlic, ginger, thai chilies, 1 leek, then added liquids. Added Thai basil at the end with lime juice and scallions. I used a whole pound of green beans along with a whole can of coconut milk

Mpoo

Pretty good, but nothing amazing. It took much longer than 5 minutes for the sauce to reduce down. It was sweet, so I ended up adding quite a bit of salt at the end to balance it out. Will likely reduce sugar next time. Added chili flakes for heat. Overall a good meal, I'll probably make it again.

Jaycub

This was amazing. So rich and creamy. Next time I’ll air fry the tofu and beans instead of using oil. I added some shiitake mushrooms to mine.

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