Sticky Tofu Poke Bowl
This sticky tofu poke bowl is sweet & spicy with some cool, crunchy vegetables topped on a bed of vinegared sushi rice. It's an easy, fuss-free vegan recipe!
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 250 g sushi rice/short-grain rice
- 330 ml water
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
Toppings
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado
- 80 g red cabbage, grated or ⅔ cup
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- ½ sheet of nori, cut into strips
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp pickled ginger, optional
- a few shakes of soy sauce, to serve
Sticky Tofu
- 170 g extra-firm tofu, cubed or 1 cup
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sriracha hot sauce
- 2 tsp maple syrup or honey (honey is not vegan)
Instructions
- Boil the rice according to the packet instructions. Or, rinse the rice until the water runs clear, add to a pan with 330ml of cold water, bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 10 minutes with the lid on. Once the 10 minutes is up, do not take off the lid (important!), turn off the heat and let it sit for 30 minutes. Stir in the rice vinegar and serve.
- Before slicing the tofu, check the packet to see if it needs to be pressed (see notes). Dice into cubes, then whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, and maple syrup/honey. Add the tofu to the sauce, mix well, and set aside.
- At this time, slice/chop and prepare your toppings. When the rice is done, dish out into bowls and top evenly with the cucumber, avocado, and cabbage.
- Lastly, heat a non-stick pan to medium heat. Add the tofu with the sauce to the pan. Simmer for ~5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Flip the tofu around the pan to coat each piece evenly with the sticky sauce.
- Add the sticky tofu to the poke bowls and top with the remaining toppings - spring onion, sesame seeds, nori, pickled ginger, and a few extra shakes of soy sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Check to see if your tofu needs to be pressed. Some extra-firm tofu brands do not require this (e.g. Tofoo Co). To press tofu, wrap it in a tea towel and place a heavy bowl or plate on top. Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
The sushi rice can be made a few hours ahead of time and cooled on the countertop for no longer than 2 hours. I would avoid putting it in the fridge - the rice becomes hard and dry.
Regular white/basmati/long-grain rice will not work the same in this recipe. Look for sushi rice or short-grain rice to get the right sticky consistency.
Traditionally, sugar is added to sushi rice. I don't think this recipes needs it - the sweet and spicy tofu is the perfect amount of sweetness (in my opinion).