Tofu ‘Chicken’ Teriyaki Don

Preparing the tofu

• Slice your block or blocks of tofu into 1-inch thick slabs. Place on a tray and then leave to freeze at least overnight to harden. No need to press the tofu or squeeze out the liquid before freezing (because you’ll want the water inside the tofu to crystallise and create the amazing texture!)
• After freezing the tofu, leave it to thaw at room temperature. When soft, carefully squeeze out the water from the tofu by carefully placing a slab of tofu between your palms and flattening. The tofu will be very delicate at this point so be careful not to over squeeze it since it can easily break apart.
• Place some flour or cornstarch on a plate. You can start with 2 tbsp of flour or cornstarch and just add more, if needed.
• Place the slabs of tofu in the flour or cornstarch mix and coat well. Set aside.

Cooking the tofu

• Heat a large non-stick pan or skillet over a high heat. Add some oil. Once hot, place the slabs of tofu and leave to cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until lightly golden.
• Lower the heat to medium and then add in the teriyaki sauce.You can start with 1/4 cup and just add more if needed. Leave the tofu to cook in the sauce. It’ll absorb the sauce and the teriyaki sauce will slowly thicken as it cooks down. Be careful not to cook the tofu in too high heat because the sugars from the teriyaki sauce can easily burn. Scoop up some teriyaki sauce from the base of the pan to pour over the tofu so all sides can be evenly coated.
• Flip over the tofu as needed and leave to cook until the teriyaki sauce has been absorbed by the tofu and has thickened. Turn off the heat and slice the tofu into thin 1-inch strips, if desired.

Cooking other veggies and mushrooms

I prepared some sliced carrots and cabbage to cook down in the sauce. I used the same pan as the tofu and simply added a bit of water to deglaze the pan before adding the vegetables. Feel free to add more teriyaki sauce to season.

Serving the tofu

I served the tofu with rice and the vegetables, and then added more teriyaki sauce. Top with sesame seeds and chopped scallions, if desired. Enjoy!