Tofu Satay

Tofu satay is an appetiser which consists of skewered crispy tofu dunked in a rich satay sauce, served with chilli oil and pickled vegetables.

This is THE appetiser to please a crowd. It’s also THE dish (along with my salt and pepper tofu) to change the mind of anyone who has ever questioned tofu. Tofu need not be bland, follow my recipe and tips for the perfect tofu satay.
There’s a few things going and I’ll run through it all for you. Firstly we have the marinade for the tofu, and then we have the satay sauce. As well as that we have a chilli oil (recipe is on my Instagram highlights) and some quick pickled vegetables.

Marinade

This marinade paste will flavour your tofu and add a ton of depth to it. It needs at least 1 hour to marinate but preferably 12-24 hours for maximum flavour. You want to use a firm/extra firm tofu here so that it soaks up the marinade properly. Firmer tofu will also fare better when skewered and far less likely to break.
Any leftover marinade will then be added to the satay sauce for additional flavour. To make the marinade, simply blitz all the ingredients together in a food processor.

Satay Sauce

This is one of my all-time favourite sauces and it is essential for tofu satay – after all it’s in the name. Satay originates from South East Asia – allegedly from Indonesia but overtime has become commonplace and popular among East Asian and South East Asian countries. You will find satay served in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China and more. It is traditionally grilled meat on skewers served with a peanut sauce. Hence for a vegan version we’re using tofu and it’s honestly incredible.
The peanut sauce is salty, nutty, spicy and has a subtle hint of sweetness. Simmer the spices, aromatics and leftover marinade to cook out any rawness – then add this to some peanut butter and whisk – it’s as easy as that. You can simmer this in water for a lighter sauce, or in coconut milk for a rich and more creamy result.

Tofu Satay

dishbyrish

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Servings 2 people

Equipment

• Food processor

Ingredients

  

Marinade ingredients:

• 1 banana shallot
• 1 red chilli/if using dried red chilli then soak in boiling water for 10mins
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 Inch piece of ginger
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp flavourless oil sunflower/peanut/vegetable
• 1 tbsp roasted salted peanuts
• 400 g firm tofu

Satay sauce:

• 1 tsp grated garlic
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp chilli paste optional
• 2-3 tsp sugar if using unsweetened PB
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 3-4 tbsp water

Instructions

 

Method:

• Press out the water from your tofu by covering with a tea towel and resting a weight on top for 30 mins
• Blitz marinade ingredients together, add a tbsp of water if your food processor needs it
• Coat your tofu in the marinade and gently toss. Allow minimum 1 hr up to 24hrs to marinate
• Then skewer together, and pan fry or grill until golden brown
• Simmer the water, leftover marinade, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, chilli and sugar until gently bubbling – to cook out the rawness
• Next, pour into a bowl with 2tbsps peanut butter and whisk. This will initially split and then come together into a smooth sauce
• Add more water to thin out if desired

Notes

I pickled my veg in rice vinegar, water, sugar, salt and mirin and allowed 1-2 days refrigeration prior to use.

Keyword satay, satay sauce, tofu