Simple Tofu Recipe in Comforting Tomato Sauce

This tofu recipe was adapted from Norman Musa’s cookbook, Bowlful. It’s quite easy to cook and straight forward, no coating for the tofu, cook the tomato sauce with simple ingredients, then combine them all together. I make it often and it’s definitely on my regular rotation.

Why I Love this Tofu Recipe

1. No Coating Pan-Fried Tofu – Since we make a sauce to go with the tofu, you can’t really get the crispy texture even if you make something like sesame crispy tofu. Instead, we just pat dry the tofu and pan-fry it till golden, to enhance its firmness so that it can hold the shape.
2. Easy Versatile Tomato Sauce – Love this tomato sauce! It requires basic ingredients that you probably already have had on hand.
3. Short Cooking Time – If you use 2 pans, one for pan-frying tofu, the other for the tomato sauce, this dish can be made in 15 mins!
4. Homey Asian Flavour with Rich Protein – Humble, nothing fancy in this dish, but that’s what Asians like. Use tofu as a plant-based protein to cut down on meat.

Now, let’s dive into this simple tofu recipe.

Ingredients

Serves: 2-3

• 250 g firm tofu
• tomato sauce
  • ½ small to regular size onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • fresh chilli, deseeded (to taste, optional)
  • ¼ chopped tomato tin (approx. 100 g)
  • ½ tbsp tomato puree
  • ½ tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt

How to Make Tofu in Tomato Sauce

1. Cut the tofu into cubes or rectangles and pat dry. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, shallow-fry the tofu over medium-high heat until both sides are golden, then set aside.
2. Heat a little more oil in the same pan over medium-low heat, sauté the onions until softened and nicely coloured, about 6-8 minutes. Then add the garlic, chilli (if using) and sauté for a few minutes till fragrant.
3. Pour the chopped tomato into the pan, let it cook for about 8-10 mintues until it looks dry. This can enhance the tomato flavour. Then add in 1 tablespoon water and the rest of the seasonings, stir well.
4. Return the tofu back into the pan and let heat through. Serve hot.

More Simple Tofu Recipes

• Everyday Tofu with Spinach, Tomato and Basil
• Sesame Crispy Tofu Recipe in 15 mins (No Deep-fry)
• Pan-Fried Balsamic Tofu Recipe
• 【One Pan】Easy Mapo Tofu Vegan(Japanese Recipe)
• 【Vegan】Steamed Fish Sauce on Tofu