Tomato Tofu
This dish, a deliciously savory and jammy tomato sauce that cloaks cubes of seared tofu—and then really needs to be served over fresh, fluffy steamed white rice—is something of a marriage between Cameron Stauch’s fresh tomato sauce for tofu in his book Vegetarian Viet Nam and my soy-sauced tomatoes over silken tofu, which is in Start Simple. I’ve made it with fresh cherry tomatoes and also with canned diced tomatoes (the latter is what’s pictured), and I’m struck for the thousandth time by what different beasts canned and fresh tomatoes are. Both are good, both are worth trying in recipes like this one, and both are wildly different. Here, the fresh tomatoes produce something brighter, lighter, and, well, fresher tasting, and the canned give the dish a significantly more concentrated tomato flavor. If you use fresh tomatoes, the cooking time should be a little less—you want to retain the fresh flavor—and if you use canned, you may want to cook a few minutes longer so as to cook off any of tinniness that sometimes lingers.
Tomato Tofu
Serves 3 to 4
2-3 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil (or olive oil), divided
One 15-oz block firm or extra tofu, blotted dry and cut into 3/4-inch (or so) cubes
Salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced or finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, halved cherry tomatoes, or canned diced tomatoes (drained if canned—this is about one 15-ounce can)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
Freshly cooked rice, for serving
Heat half the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat, and when hot, add the tofu. Sprinkle with salt. Brown the tofu on 2 or 3 sides—lots of recipes say to brown on all sides but I rarely have the patience for that. Transfer the tofu to a plate, and return the skillet to the heat.
Add the remaining oil, followed by the garlic, ginger, and tomato paste. Cook for about 30 seconds, til fragrant, then stir in the tomatoes and soy sauce. Let simmer, bubbling away, until slightly reduced—about 10 minutes. Stir in the tofu and taste for salt. Garnish with the scallion, then serve hot over rice.