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Cashew Tofu Stir Fry Recipe. Vegan Cashew Delight Recipe with Tofu and Veggies. Use meat subs for variation. Easy One Pot weeknight meal. Serve with rice or grains of choice. Vegan Gluten-free Recipe. Pin this Recipe!
When I started my first job after grad school, I was in a new much larger city, with many options for lunches and dinners, many cuisines and types of restaurants. In those pre-gan & pre balance issues days, I tried to be open to trying out the new cuisines and new foods. Many times I was left disappointed. Coming from a mainly vegetarian, fresh food lifestyle (grew up eating mostly all Indian food with loads of beans and veggies), the eggs, cheese, overly used dairy products, meats etc felt stale to me. I learnt to like some of them because those were the options available at that time to someone in a new country, culture. Things have changed since then. More than decade has gone by, and I seek out more vegetarian and vegan restaurants because the restaurants that are vegan or vegetarian tend to have this freshness in the flavors of everything. Like something as simple as Thai food with sauces and curries. I liked thai before, but love it much more now. The fresh non meaty curries, non eggy/fishy sauces pack such a pleasing flavor that it makes me love the veggies in it. That probably is another reason I have started liking Tofu. Thai dishes are also easily flexible to your own preference. Have you had any changes in flavor preferences lately?
I love quick meals and this one is easy and quick to put together. It is my version of the Cashew delight or Cashew something from Thai restaurants. Toast the cashews, add the veggies and protein you like, add the sauces, cook for a few and serve.
More Thai Recipes from the blog
Cashew Tofu Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 10 oz firm or extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed , or use chickpea tofu or cooked chickpeas to make tofu-free
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
For the Stir fry:
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/3 cup cashews, raw or unsalted roasted
- 4-5 dried red chilies, Stems removed and optionally broken into halves
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 inch ginger finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped or 3/4 cup broccoli or other vegetable thinly sliced or chopped
- 1/4 tsp black or white pepper or a generous dash of both
For the Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, or use 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp or more vegan hoisin sauce, or 2 tbsp hoisin sauce and 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp sugar or other sweetener of choice
- 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp Cornstarch mixed in 1/2 cup veggie broth or water
- green onion and pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Crisp the tofu: press and tear tofu into bite size pieces and add to a bowl. Add the black pepper and cornstarch and toss well to coat. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu and cook 2 minutes then flip and cook for another 2. Repeat until most edges are golden.,about 6 minutes.
- Make the sauce: heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cashews and chilies and cook until the cashews are golden on most sides. (If using raw cashews, toast those for a minute before adding chilies). Stir frequently. Remove from skillet but let the oil remain the skillet. Add garlic and ginger. Reduce heat to low. Mix and cook for 2 minutes or until translucent.
- Add onions and veggies and a generous pinch of salt. Increase heat to medium high. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Meanwhile mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and add to the skillet. Or add directly to the skillet. Add cornstarch slurry.
- Mix and cook for a minute. Taste and add salt, tang, (and heat) if needed.
- Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Add crisped tofu, toasted cashews and chilies and toss well tk coat with sauce.?switch off heat after a minute.,Serve over cooked white/brown rice or grains of choice like quinoa..
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Reading for the day:
The Safari Club is holding its annual convention in Vegas this week. If you were saddened by Cecil the Lion’s killing, watch this newsreport about the millions being bid in The Safari Club’s annual Killvention in Las Vegas, where you can bid on hunts to kill exotic animals all over the world. There’s literally millions of dollars, and seminars on justifying the hunts.
In Kerala, India, the temple Elephants, young and old, continue to suffer and die a painful death. Huffington Post covers the issues in this article about Elephant Abuse in Kerala finally gone criminal. The elephants are tortured for years, blinded, beaten, maimed and what not in the name of religious uses and entertainment.
From the article “After the elephants emerge from their musth, i.e. their heat period, It’s a secret tradition that involves seven or eight drunk men beating the living day lights out of this animal for 48-72 hours. The practice is based on a superstitious belief that the elephants may have forgotten their commands during their musth.
It’s a horrifying ritual designed to break the elephant’s spirit and remind them that their masters are in control.”
Awesome recipe. Must try
yay!
Thank you!
🙂
I find reading recipes from my laptop while I’m cooking really hard because the only room for it is on the floor, and I have to bend down to read every so often because my 20/20 vision and 5’3” height refuse to combine into a superpower. So I tried to work around that by memorizing this recipe. First, I physically wrote it down to engrave it in my brain, then, ran to my kitchen and did everything to the best of my ability, which nearly worked precisely, but I forgot the tofu which I have been pressing for hours in advance. Well. I have enough leftover ingredients to make this again tomorrow and I look forward to it!
TLDR I forgot the tofu but will make it again tomorrow
Wow, what a great memory! Oops, that’s ok… now you have more tomorrow!
Can I used crushed red chili (flakes) instead of dried red chilies?
Yes don’t use a lot
Soooo happy I found your blog, Richa! I’ve tried your palak tofu, and this is next on my list. Thanks so much for the fun and easy recipes! ^_^
Much love,
Rosh
Thanks!
This didn’t turn out well, but it was my fault! Too much heat and tang for my tastes. I will try again and dial down ginger, pepper, and vinegar. Advice for others who might be like me is to start light with these ingredients and add more later if needed. I did try to correct it with more sugar, but still not right. Now I know/. I will say the cashews were lovely in this.
hmm, Maybe the hoisin sauce was tangier adding tot he overall tang? Yes start with less. You can add more veggies and a bit more soy sauce to balance out the dish.
I love all your recipes and your book! I’m anxious to try this recipe–I know it will be awesome like all your others.
I also like your ethics. It’s just heartbreaking the atrocities that go on in this world in the name of religion, traditions, power, ignorance or whatever. We will get our karma soon… Unfortunately all the innocent beautiful living beings and good people will not escape it but our planet will heal, recover and transform like it has many times in it’s millions-year history.
I make this often for myself and my husband! Sometimes I switch it up by adding in broccoli or another green vegetable and it always tastes amazing. I love that this recipe has simple to find ingredients and is quick to throw together. Thank you!!!
this was delicious! it has the perfect amount of spice and flavor and the small serving size is perfect for college living! thank you!