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12-Minute Tofu Fried Rice
12 min
3 Base Servings
Tofu scramble meets fried rice for an ingenious 12-minute, protein-heavy, vegan tofu fried rice dish. So easy!
Looking for a quick, wholesome plant-based dinner that comes together in under 15 minutes? This 12-Minute Scrambled Tofu Fried Rice transforms simple pantry staples and day-old brown rice into a protein-rich meal brimming with warm Asian-inspired flavor.
Why This Recipe Works
The secret lies in dry-scrambling the crumbled tofu with aromatic ginger, smoked paprika, and earthy turmeric before introducing the rice. This technique toasts the spices directly into the tofu curds, creating a savory texture reminiscent of egg fried rice without a single animal product.
Chef's Pro-Tips
- Use cold, day-old rice: Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture and will yield a mushy stir-fry. Cold refrigerated brown rice grains stay separate and absorb the toasted sesame oil and tamari beautifully.
- Customize your veggies: While frozen corn and peas make this a lightning-fast weeknight hero, feel free to toss in diced bell peppers, broccoli florets, or shredded carrots during the aromatics sauté step.
Ingredients
3 Servings
- 200 gramsextra-firm tofu (half of a 14-ounce block)
- 1 tablespoonolive oil
- 0.5 cupfinely diced yellow onion (about 1/2 small onion)
- 1 mediumclove garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoonstoasted sesame oil (divided)
- 1 thumb-sizedknob ginger (peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon)
- 1/2 teaspoonsmoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoonground turmeric
- 3 cupscooked brown rice (cold, day-old rice is best)
- 1 cupfrozen corn kernels
- 1 cupfrozen peas
- 2 tablespoonstamari or soy sauce (plus more to taste)
Instructions
- Set the tofu on a large cutting board and mash with a potato masher or fork until it's crumbled. Set aside.
- Place a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion. Saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.
- Add one tablespoon of the sesame oil, then add the ginger, smoked paprika, turmeric, and mashed tofu. Cook, stirring until the spices are well-incorporated, about 2 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Add the remaining sesame oil and the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice sizzles and is thoroughly warmed through, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the corn, peas, and Tamari (or soy sauce) and cook until the veggies are warm, about one more minute.
- Taste and add additional Tamari or soy sauce if desired.