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Tofu Fried Rice With Peas And Chilli

tofu fried rice

This tofu fried rice makes a hearty meal in no time at all. Crunchy, savoury and packed with flavour it’s a perfect quick meal for the mid-week.

tofu fried rice profile

This just might be by new favourite tofu recipe. I love crispy tofu recipes just as much as the next man, but tofu fried rice blows it out the park. There’s something so comforting about a big bowl of freshly prepared rice chock full of some salty tofu scramble. It brings me back to those teenage days devouring special fried rice out of a greasy metal tin.

Think of this as the vegan version of that takeout fried rice, but 100x better. Yes it ticks all of those greasy comfort food boxes, but it’s also stuffed full of flavour and wonderful seasonal veg. The star of the show – mangetout or snow peas. These crunchy and crisp edible-pod peas are my absolute favourite. Tossed and cooked in the fried rice sauce of they blister and take on a whole new flavour.

The peas are wonderfully complemented by spring onions and watercress. This dish really showcases spring and the wonderful produce that’s available.

tofu fried rice zoomed

What else to eat with tofu fried rice

This recipe is delightful, but the base fried rice recipe works with so many other ingredients. If you’re looking for more ways to enjoy your tofu rice, here’s some ideas:

  • Spicy tofu fried rice with gochujang and tenderstem broccoli – add a tablespoon of gochujang to the fried rice sauce and substitute the veggies for 200g crisp tenderstem broccoli
  • Basil and miso tofu fried rice with garden peas – add blend 30g basil with a tablespoon of miso and 50 ml of water and add to the fried rice sauce. Add at the same time as the tofu. Substitute the veggies for 250g frozen peas.
  • Cajun tofu fried rice with grilled courgette – add a tablespoon of smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the fried rice sauce. Substitute the veggies for 3 whole grilled courgettes.

But I’m sure you can come up with many different combos. The basic premise is – keep the tofu rice and base sauce the same (soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar) and add whatever you fancy on top. Honestly it’s pretty hard to go wrong!

What tofu should I use

In general I prefer a firm tofu for a scramble. See my recipe for epic scrambled tofu for an easy and fool proof recipe. Softer tofus like silken tend to have too silky a texture for the rice. You loose the tofu amongst the chewy rice. Using firm tofu provides more bite and makes for a better rice dish.

When to eat this tofu fried rice

All of the main veggies in the rice (the peas, the spring onions and the watercress) are late spring – early summer vegetables. In general snow peas are available from mid to late may and are harvested all the way up until October. If you’re eating this dish outside the spring/summer why not try switching the ingredients for more seasonal options.

Spring onions can be replaced by plain brown onions in the winter/autumn. In place of watercress use shredded cabbage. For the mangetout try using kalettes.

Tofu Fried Rice With Peas And Chilli

A delightfully savoury fried rice with crunchy mangetout peas and smoky tofu scramble.
tofu fried rice
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Course Main Course, Rice

This meal is around 86% less polluting than the average UK meal.

Eating this recipe will save around 2.51 KG CO2e per person.

That’s equivalent to the emissions produced driving 20.77 KM in a modern car.

How do I calculate this?

Ingredients

  • 300 g Long Grained Rice (cooked until aldente)
  • 150 g Mangetout Peas
  • 100 g Spring Onions (finely sliced)
  • 1 Medium Green Chilli (finely sliced)
  • 4 Cloves Garlic (finely diced)
  • 30 g Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)
  • 50 g Watercress
  • 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 400 g Scrambled Tofu
  • 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Instructions

  • First prepare your tofu scramble following your favourite recipe I have a great one here.
  • Heat the 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large deep frying pan over a medium-high heat. Toss in the 100g chopped spring onions, 4 chopped cloves garlic and 1 sliced green chilli. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the spring onions are soft.
  • Increase the heat of the pan and pour in the 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil and the 150g of mangetout peas. Fry the peas, stirring often, until they soften and begin to take a little colour on their outer skins.
  • Tip in the 300g of cooked rice and 400g scrambled tofu and toss with the fried veggies. Stir well to combine all the pan ingredients then remove from the heat. Fold in the 30g of chopped coriander.
  • Serve the fried rice on large dinner plates with the watercress garnishing the top of the rice. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt to taste.

Hi i'm Hugo

I started Lowly to help more people discover sustainable food. Planet-friendly food doesn’t have to be bland and boring. My recipes celebrate how diverse and flavourful it truly is.

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