Cumin Miso Sauce Baked Tofu with Cilantro & Scallions
This is a vegan Japanese & Southeast Asian fusion dish that I created for tofu, miso and cilantro lovers! It has a very unique savory taste from cumin and miso. Yet, it's refreshing from aromatic cilantro and scallions with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time50 minutesmins
Inactive Time20 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Asian-Pacific Inspired
Servings: 2
Author: Plant-Based Matters
Ingredients
Baked Tofu
1block / 1 poundextra firm tofu(weight is before drained)
Miso Mixture
1 1/2tbspwhite miso paste
1tspsake
1/4cupwater
Cilantro & Scallion Topping
A handful fresh cilantro(1/2 cup loosely packed, 1/4 cup roughly chopped)
Place an unpacked and drained tofu block on a shallow bowl or plate. Put heavy weight (such as large canned item) on top. Let it stand for 15-20 minutes to drain excess water.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 400 °F (205 °C.)
When it’s drained, cut tofu into small cubes (about 3/4-inch cubes.) Place them on parchment lined baking sheet (or any non-stick surface) in a single layer. Bake them for 25-30 minutes on one side then flip and bake another 10-15 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Take them out and set aside.
In the meantime, prepare the miso mixture. In a prep bowl, combine miso paste, sake and water. Whisk together until well combined. Set aside.
Once the tofu is baked, prepare the cilantro & scallion topping. In another prep bowl, combine cilantro, scallions, lime zest, and lime juice. Toss lightly and set aside.
Heat up a non-stick pan at medium high heat. Pour neutral oil and cumin powder. Cook for 30 seconds until aromatic, then add garlic and cook for another minute or less.
Add the miso mixture to the pan. Cook for a minute until the alcohol evaporates and thickens a little. Then add the baked tofu cubes to coat with the sauce. Season with black pepper and add lime juice. Give a quick toss.
Serve with the cilantro & scallion mixture on top. Squeeze more lime juice (optional.)
Notes
Try to avoid mixing the cilantro & scallion topping too soon. The lime juice can make it soggy and wilted. I’d recommend mixing it right before the final process of cooking everything together in the pan.
It can be served as is or any choice of your grains or quinoa.