This vegan Char Siu (BBQ Tofu) Rice is really simple to make at home. The tofu is first coated with cornstarch then pan-fried until golden. Then, they are coated with a homemade Char Siu sauce for a delicious and glossy sheen. This meal is complete with a homemade ginger garlic chili sauce. Enjoy!
Recipe by woonheng on February 27, 2021
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT20M
Total time: PT70M
5 stars (21 reviews)
CharSiu, rice, tofu
- Wash and rinse Jasmine rice with cold water until the water turns clear (about three rinses). Drain out the water and set aside.
- Heat a large pan and add 3 teaspoons of cooking oil. Sauté ginger slices until aromatic and continue to do the same for garlic.
- Add the rice, salt, and butter then stir-fry all the mixture over medium low heat until fragrant. [This step is to dry up the rice as well.]
- Transfer rice to the inner rice pot. Add the pandan leaves and water.
- Cook the rice on 'white rice' settings. When ready, fluff the rice with fork before serving.
- Combine all the char siu sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Cut tofu into 3 slabs, lengthwise. Rub all sides with cornstarch.
- Heat a non-stick pan and add in a tablespoon of oil. Using low-medium heat, pan-fry the tofu until golden brown on all sides. Tip: Do not flip the tofu until a crust is formed.
- Once the tofu is ready, add in the sauce. Coat each side with the sauce until the tofu has a nice glossy sheen. This process takes a little bit of time as you need to turn and coat each side evenly.
- Remove the tofu from the pan and let them cool down completely before slicing it into slices.
- Now, make the sweet sauce by mixing maple syrup and soy sauce with toasted sesame oil in a bowl. Or you can simply cook the sauce in the pan with the remaining oil in the pan.
- Place the flavored ginger rice and vegan Char Siu on a plate. Add a spoonful of sweet sauce mix on top of the Char Siu then pair it with a side of sliced cucumber and ginger garlic chili sauce. Enjoy.