Coconut Tofu with Spicy Sauce

To all my coconut peeps, I’ve got some sweet, spicy, crunchy goodness for ya today Coconut Tofu with Spicy Sauce. 

And to all my meat lovers, don’t disregard the tofu! Tofu is super versatile, meaning you can get really creative. 

Before I start sharing my obsession for this recipe and flavor combination, I need to tell you a story… about how I actually LOST this recipe. Like, I physically lost the document that had all my notes, measurements and instructions…

I was feeling pretty ambitious while packing for my west coast excursion a couple of weeks ago. Meaning, I packed all my blogging stuff (laptop, notebooks, recipes, etc.). Yes, I know, I probably should NOT have overpacked (seriously, who brings a hard drive with them for a 10 day trip!?). But anyone who knows me understands how over prepared I can be !

Anyway, I thought I brought this Coconut Tofu with Spicy Sauce recipe with me… but I didn’t. I searched high and low while I was away. Nothing. I didn’t panic too much just yet though, because I figured, it’s probably at home somewhere.

WRONG….Big. Fat. Wrong.

So what to do? I started over, from scratch, redeveloping and testing today’s recipe. That means shopping for ingredients, formulating measurements and determining the best method for the best outcome. Sometimes, that’s just what happens when you think you’ve got it all figured out, you miss things, important things. Lesson? don’t pile too much on your plate, some important ingredients may fall off!

Okay, enough of my ranting, how about that tofu?

Here’s the equipment you’ll need:

• Medium bowl
• Small bowl
• Wire whisk
• Large skillet
• Tongs

You’re going to start with a basic breading technique. You’ll mix the sweetened coconut into the bread crumbs. Why use bread crumbs at all you ask? Coconut alone will not coat all the tofu. You need the crumbs to get in between the small spaces that the coconut fails to coat.

Once all of your tofu is breaded, you’ll pan fry on each side until golden brown and crispy, about two minutes on each side.

The sauce is very simple. Just three ingredients mixed together and you’re done! I would make the sauce ahead of time so it’s ready to use just as the tofu is coming out of the pan.

Are you a coconut fan? How do you use coconut in your cooking? And before you head out, if you’re a baking fanatic, be sure to sign up for my FREE newsletter, where I share the best baking tips and recipes 

Coconut Tofu with Spicy Sauce

prep 20 mins

cook 10 mins

total 30 mins

author nicole cline

yield 3 .5 servings

Ingredients

For the Coconut Tofu

• 14 ounces firm tofu, dried and cut into 3x2 inch pieces (see photos)
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil for pan frying
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Spicy Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Sriracha
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger

Instructions

For the Coconut Tofu

1. Whisk milk and egg in a small bowl to make an egg wash.
2. Combine bread crumbs, coconut and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Measure flour out onto a! shallow plate
3. Coat one piece of tofu in the flour, then in egg wash. Then coat completely in bread crumb and coconut mixture.
4. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add coated tofu. Cook each long side until crispy and light brown, about two minutes on each side. Serve immediately.

For the Spicy Sauce

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together Sriracha, mayonnaise and ginger. Refrigerate until ready to use.

This post has affiliate links. Thank you for allowing me to continue sharing recipes for your enjoyment 

Dinner, Light Lunchescoconut, spicy, tofu, vegetarian