Ingredients
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3 tablespoons sesame oil
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1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
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2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
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1 cup low sodium soy sauce
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1 cup water
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1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
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2 (14 ounce) containers extra firm tofu
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1/4 cup cornstarch
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4 large green onions, cut into 1-2-inch slices
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1 large red bell pepper, cut in to long slices lengthwise
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10 ounces mushrooms, quartered
Instructions
- Remove tofu from water and thoroughly pat with paper towels to dry.
- Slice tofu in half lengthwise, then quarter it by cutting it in half along the narrow sides. You will have four rectangles. Keep them together, then begin slicing 1/4" slices from the narrow end. You should end up with lots of pieces that measure just over 1" long and about 3/4" wide.
- Put these pieces on a plate, sandwiched between paper towels, and press them dry. This should get most of the water out.
- Heat sesame oil in a deep skillet over low/medium heat.
- Add ginger and garlic to the pan and lightly sautee for about 30 seconds. Do not scorch the garlic.
- Add soy sauce and water.
- Dissolve the brown sugar in the liquid, then raise the heat to medium high and boil sauce for about three minutes. It will thicken slightly.
- Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Put tofu strips inside of sauce and marinate them for 30-60 minutes. You can start your rice during this step, if you plan to use brown rice.
- Use a colander to gently strain the liquid from the tofu. Keep the liquid in a bowl for the next step.
- Add cornstarch to liquid and dissolve.
- Gently place the tofu back into the skillet (or in a wok, if you'd like) and brown it on medium. Don't turn it too often, or it will break. You can add a small amount of sesame oil to help it along.
- Add green onions, peppers and mushrooms to the skillet or wok.
- Pour sauce into the veggie mixture and heat, just until it's nice and hot.
- Serve over brown rice or pad thai noodles.