Bento Picnic’s Braised Tofu with Firecracker Sauce
Leanne Valenti

by Leanne Valenti

Valentiful, Bento Picnic

Rice Bowl with Braised Tofu

Rice Bowl with Braised Tofu

This recipe is dedicated to Angela. Before I even sent out the survey asking my former customers what recipes they most want from the restaurant, Angela took the initiative to email me requesting this tofu recipe. Here is Angela’s polite plea:


“Your power bowls with tofu were delightful, and I have not stopped thinking about them since the store's closure. Your tofu was truly the best tofu I've ever had. I've made many attempts to replicate this dish but have failed miserably. I would greatly appreciate you sharing your recipe. Thank you.”

Main Dishes • Gluten-Free · Vegan · Nut-Free · Allium-Free · Sesame-Free
Colors:
Tastes:
🍋🧂🍬🍵🌶️
Techniques:
💧
Tested by
Valentiful
Cooked and tested by the Valentiful team
•
Rating:
Yield: 400 g Braised Tofu · 1½ cups Firecracker Sauce
Serves: 4 (3 pieces, quartered)
Time: Total 25m
Equipment: No equipment specified

Ingredients

12 oz Tofu (Fried Tofu)
1½ cups Water
¼ cup Soy Sauce (Tamari)
2 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp Mustard Seeds (Yellow)
1 Tbsp Dried Chili Peppers (Aleppo Pepper)
¼ tsp Salt (Kosher Salt)
⅛ tsp Black Peppercorn
¼ cup Water (divided)
½ cup Soy Sauce (Tamari)
½ cup Mirin
½ cup Vinegar (Rice Vinegar)
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
5 Tbsp Agave Syrup

Sourcing Tips

I recommend sourcing the Fried Tofu from Garden Star Sprouts, a local tofu producer based in Dallas. In Austin, the most reliable place to find their products is at the Ranch 99 at Airport & N Lamar. You’ll notice Garden Star Sprout sells several types of Fried Tofu — they’re all good, so get them all and experiment to find out which texture you prefer. Oftentimes I freeze the tofu as soon as I buy it, since Garden Star Sprouts’ tofu is made without preservatives and thus has a short shelf life in the refrigerator. Conveniently, you can start cooking from frozen without any compromise to the final result.

Instructions

Place tofu in a wide-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Pour in the water, tamari and mirin.
Simmer over medium heat, until liquid has mostly evaporated, about 15 minutes. Stir once halfway through to make sure tofu gets evenly braised. Turn off heat and let tofu cool down in the braising liquid.
Once tofu is cool enough to work with, cut into quarters. Garnish with Firecracker Teriyaki Sauce (see sub recipe).
BLOOM SPICES: Toast dry ingredients (mustard seeds, aleppo pepper, salt & pepper until it smells golden. Then add half the water to bloom the spices. Continue cooking until au sec*.
• *The term au sec (pronounced "oh-SECK") refers to a liquid that has been reduced until it is nearly dry.
SIMMER LIQUIDS: Add tamari, mirin, rice vinegar to the pot, and bring to a simmer.
MAKE SLURRY: In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with the rest of the water to make a slurry. Once cornstarch is dissolved into the water, whisk agave into the slurry as well.
FINISH SAUCE: Add the sweetened slurry to the pot of simmering liquid, and whisk continuously until the sauce begins to thicken and there's no sign of cloudiness. Cut heat and let cool. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Serving & Keeping

Serve: Hot, Room Temp
Make ahead: You can make braised tofu in the morning and pack it in a lunchbox.
Keeps: Store leftover tofu in the fridge for ~4-5 days, and reheat gently in the braising liquid to reheat. Leftover sauce keeps for 3-4 weeks.
Leftover Ideas: Extra Firecracker Sauce is great on roasted veg, grain bowls, or as a stir fry sauce — it behaves like a versatile glaze.
Serve with: The braised tofu pairs especially well with short-grain white rice.

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