Tofu Peanut Sauce

Now that we are all indoors as much as possible, I try to inspire you with genuine delicious food that is super simple to make. Like this tofu peanut sauce recipe. Add some cucumber salade and white rice and you have a complete meal.

We try to make our dinner time like a small party. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. But I do enjoy trying many new recipes.

Crispy tofu

I fry the tofu in a thin layer of oil. Beb doesn’t say it in her recipe, but I like crispy tofu the best. I fry my tofu in cubes in a thin layer of oil, at least 20 minutes on low heat.

The peanut sauce in this recipes makes for an exceptional delicious umami flavor especially in combination with sambal. This tofu peanut sauce also happens to be vegan.

This recipe is enough for 2 people and is ready in 30-40 minutes.

---

Tofu Peanut Sauce # 350 translated from Beb Vuyk’s Groot Indonesisch Kookboek, , page.

Ingredients

• 1 block of tofu
• 3 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 8 tablespoons of oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 5 tablespoons of chopped onions
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons of sambal ulek
• 2 teaspoons of Javanese sugar
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of chopped celery
• salt

1. Cut the tofu into dice.
2. Fry the onions until golden brown and crispy in the oil; drain them.
3. Fry the tofu cubes in the same oil and drain them.
4. Grind garlic, sambal, Javanese sugar and peanut butter together into a paste and fry in the leftover oil on low heat.
5. Finish the sauce with the soy sauce and then stir in the tofu cubes.
6. Finish with the lemon juice and sprinkle the fried onions and chopped celery on top.

---

You always have to add a lot of flavor to tofu. The peanut butter and very sweet soy sauce (kecap manis ABC) determine the flavor. This recipe asks for a sambal ulek but of course, you can also use a sambal trassi (fermented shrimp paste), but then the dish is no longer vegan.

I start with the onions. I fry them in a few tablespoons of oil. The onions are a topping that will be added to the dish just before serving. I also start with the tofu; I fry until crispy in a thin layer of oil.

Then grind garlic, sambal, Javanese sugar and peanut butter together into a paste. You can also use brown or plain white sugar instead of Javanese sugar.

Bumbu peanut sauce

My peanut sauce bumbu contains pieces of peanut (peanut butter with chunks). So that’s why my bumbu turns a bit dry, but that’s okay. The oil in the nuts will come out when the bumbu is heated up.

Now I sauté the bumbu this in a pan with a little oil. Make sure your bumbu doesn’t burn. I cook it on low to medium heat. When the bumbu, after 3 minutes has softened, the soy sauce can be added.

I do not let the soy sauce cook much; it can burn easily. That’s why I almost immediately add the crispy fried tofu. I try to mix everything together well and turn off the gas when that is done.

Now I squeeze a lemon over this sticky tofu mix and I serve it with the onions and (coarsely) chopped celery on top. I love the fact that this vegan dish is full of powerful flavors. I like the combination of crispy tofu with the umami flavor of the peanut sauce.