Tofu balls with sweet spicy sauce

Jul 27

Jul 27 Tofu balls with sweet spicy sauce

450 g of white firm tofu

2 tbs garlic oil

3/4 cup cooked rice/oat rice

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 ml soy sauce

2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 tbs nutritional yeast

1 tbs garlic oil

1/2 - 1 tsp chilli flakes (to taste)

1 tin tomatoes

1 tbs tomato paste

5 tbsp soy sauce

5 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp five-spice powder

3 tsp cornstarch diluted in 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wrap tofu block in paper towel and press with something heavy to drain excess water, Depending on the tofu, you should remove 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of water. This step is essential; otherwise, the balls won't hold together if the tofu is too moist. Transfer the drained tofu to a mixing bowl and set aside.
In a food processor, pulse the tofu and rice a few times to get a fine mixture. Make sure the mixture is finely minced; otherwise, the balls won't hold together well.
Next, add the seasonings: maple syrup, soy sauce, ground black pepper, salt, and nutritional yeast if using. Mix well until fully combined. You should have a soft mixture.
Form small balls and roll them gently between your hands. The balls will be quite soft but should hold together well.
Place the tofu balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through baking (be gentle when flipping to not break them). Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.

Blend the tomatoes in a blender with 1/2 cup of water. Blend until you get a smooth tomato purée.

Heat the garlic oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Once hot, fry the chili for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the blended tomato. Bring back the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the blended tomato has turned deep red.
Add in the tomato puree, soy sauce, maple syrup and five-spice, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the diluted cornstarch and stir to combine. Cook for one more minute, or until the sauce has thickened.
Next, add the tofu balls, and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring regularly to coat the balls with the sauce.
Serve on top of rice, noodles, or with sautéed greens! Tofu balls are best served immediately but can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.