Apricot and Orange Glazed Tofu

After I made my apricot chutney, I was so happy with it, that it wasn’t enough to have it for breakfast with toast and cheese each morning. I wanted to eat it all the time, any way I could.

Firstly I found a recipe for a Potatoes in Mango Chutney Sauce from What’s For Lunch Honey? But when I tried it with apricot chutney, the result was a little bland. It may be that the mango chutney, Meeta used was far more spicy than my chutney. This is one of the reasons it can be frustrating to cook with processed foods. Unless I know the brand/recipe, it is hard to know if my version is the same as someone else’s. However, Meeta's version looks so good that I may try again some time.

But then I happened across a recipe that had taken my fancy almost a year ago. Apricot and Orange Glazed Tofu from Veggie Meal Plans. Cassie used apricot jam in hers but I reasoned that I could substitute my chutney, and I scaled down the other ingredients to take the extra chutney flavours into account. I don’t often make pan fried tofu but this recipe has made me think I should. It was absolutely delicious and quite easy (apart from the scary bubbling up when I poured the glaze in the frypan). It was a spicy fruity sauce that elevated the tofu into a heavenly delicacy.

I had firm tofu but decided to press it before I fried it. You can see from the photo that I did it out of the fridge (before our heat wave last week) with a colander, a dessert bowl and some margarine and tinned tomatoes. It wasn't terribly professional but an hour of this pressing helped remove a little extra moisture from the tofu.

E was equally impressed. I served it with the last of my potatoes in chutney and a simple salad of vegies and lemon juice. Cassie served hers with rice and cucumber salad. I also noticed when we had finished dinner that she had suggested it served 3-4 but it was eagerly devoured by the two of us because it was so good and not that heavy. I think this is a recipe that tastes great, however you choose to eat it.

Apricot and Orange Glazed Tofu
(adapted from Veggie Meal Plans)
Serves 2-4

For the Glaze:
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp chilli paste
juice of 1 small orange
3 tablespoons apricot chutney
1 tsp white miso
small pinch of black pepper

For the Tofu:
350 grams extra-firm or pressed tofu, sliced 5-7mm thick
2 teaspoons oil for sautéing

Combine all ingredients for glaze and set aside. Heat oil in a large non-stick frypan over medium heat. Saute sliced tofu in a single layer until golden brown on both sides: about 10-12 minutes total. Reduce heat to low (I found the liquid bubbled and splattered when it hit the hot pan). Pour glaze over tofu and allow the liquid to thicken which only takes a few minutes and then remove from heat while thick but still liquid. Make sure you flip the tofu so the glaze coats both sides.

Apricot Jam Variation 
(April 2016): I made a variation on this tonight with apricot jam that I enjoyed.  Here is the ingredient list for the glaze:

3 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp white miso
1 tsp sriracha - quite a lot for me
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp agave
1/4 tsp ginger powder

On the stereo:
The fabric of folk: The Owl Service and Alison O’Donnell