Tofu and zucchini wrap
To all my vegan friends, this one's for you, and for anyone who adores tofu too!
Having lived in Rosebery for the past year, amongst the wonderful Asian supermarkets, I chastised myself, "Shame on you, Nava. How are you not exploiting your proximity to this new bonanza of flavours and textures and dive deeper into my exploration of Asian cuisine?" Fuelled by nothing but enthusiasm, I marched into the closest Asian store and said to the smiling shopkeeper, "I'm contemplating creating a zucchini wrap with tofu. What flavours do you think would complement a dish like that?" The shopkeeper looked at me as if I was some exotic curiosity (or maybe I flatter myself) and chortled. After attempting to get my meaning across by using a loud voice, (or louder, I guess, because no one has ever asked me to speak up) and gesturing with my hands it became pretty clear that I was not going to be able to mine this lady’s knowledge and I would have to rely on my own creativity. "Never mind”, I thought, “I've got this. Although Asian cuisine isn't my forte, I’ll just do it!” Looks like I didn’t listen to all those Nike commercials for nothing!
As it was I relished making, creating, and devouring this dish. Infused with Asian flavors, these bite-size delicacies are delectable. The zucchini is marinated with a marvellous melange of flavors, and the velvety tofu centre is light and tender. Garnished with dried Asian onions and sesame seeds, the result is a heavenly dish which makes an exquisite appetizer or can be transformed into a sumptuous main meal with the addition of rice.
Before you start!
You need to double the marinade. One lot of marinade is for the tofu, the other for the zucchini slices.
You can either make double the quantity and divide it into two bowls or you can make two separate ones. I made two separate portions.
The zucchini needs to be sliced thinly but not paper thin or it will fall apart. Resting in the marinade will make it malleable.
I bought long thin zucchini’s and had to cut my tofu according to the width of the zucchini so it will fit nicely. You will need to cut the tofu according to the width of the zucchini you buy.
I’m not sure why I used skewers I thought it would look cute for the photo but there is no need for skewers, and when I’ve made these before I didn’t use skewers. If you choose to use skewers, you should know that because the tofu is semi soft it doesn’t sit firmly on the skewers.
I bought 4 zucchini’s which is more than what you might need, but even using a mandolin, not all the slices were even and some zucchini slices were too thin and they tore.
I used semi firm tofu because I like the flavour and the texture but you can use firm tofu, and it’s easier to work with. I have used both and my preference is semi firm.
marinade
Ingredients x 2
1/2 tablespoons of Sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoons agave/ maple syrup (honey if not vegan)
2 1/2 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoon mirin seasoning
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon Chinese chilli sauce
zucchini and tofu
Ingredients
3 - 4 long, thin zucchini’s (I managed to get 22 slices from 1 zucchini )
530g semi firm tofu/firm tofu
Marinade
Method
1. In a medium-sized bowl, thoroughly mix the marinade ingredients and set aside.
2. Cut the tofu into squares and cover with the marinade. Refrigerate for a few hours.
3. Make a second batch of marinade for the zucchini, using the same ingredients and quantities. Slice the zucchini into thin slices (not paper-thin), add to the marinade, and coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
4. Take the marinated tofu and zucchini out of the fridge and allow them to reach room temperature.
5. Pour half of the marinade from the tofu into a frying pan and on medium to high heat, cook the tofu, turning over so all sides get browned.
6. Pour in the rest of the tofu marinade and continue to cook with the remaining tofu until you have used up all the marinade. Set aside.
Assembly
1. On a clean cutting board, line three zucchini slices.
2. Place one piece of tofu at the top of the zucchini and begin to roll it until you get to the end of the slice.
3. Repeat with the other two zucchini slices, making sure all sides of the tofu are covered.
4. Once you have completely wrapped the tofu, pour the zucchini marinade into a frying pan and on medium heat, reduce the marinade until it becomes a thick sauce and reduces by half.
5. Turn off the heat, place a skewer into three wrapped tofu (optional), and place on a serving dish, using a spoon drizzle the sauce on top of wraps until you used up all the sauce.
6. Alternatively, place the wrapped tofu on a serving dish and using a spoon, drizzle the sauce on top of the wraps until you have used up all the sauce.
Enjoy this dish hot.