Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 1 to 2 teaspoons oil
- 12 ounces mushrooms (sliced slightly thicker than 1/8”)
- 7 ounces firm or extra firm tofu (pressed really well and torn into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Coating Mixture
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste (or 5 cloves of garlic minced and 1 inch ginger minced)
- 1/2 green chili (like Serrano or Indian chili, minced or use a tablespoon chopped green bell pepper)
- 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper (green or red or both)
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (or other Asian chili garlic sauce or use gochujang)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Garnish
- Green onion
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Press the tofu well and tear into bite-sized pieces. Slice mushrooms slightly thicker than 1/8 inch. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven. Heat the oven to 400° F (205° C) to get it ready for baking the tofu and mushrooms.
- Arrange tofu and mushrooms in baking dish. Grease a 9×11-inch baking dish with oil or line it with parchment. Place mushrooms on one side and tofu on the other. Drizzle 1 teaspoon sesame oil over mushrooms and toss to coat, then drizzle remaining teaspoon over tofu and toss.
- Coat tofu and mushrooms with cornstarch mixture. In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Sprinkle about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of this mixture over mushrooms and toss well. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon over tofu and toss to coat evenly.
- Bake tofu and mushrooms. Spread tofu and mushrooms evenly in the dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tofu is crisp and mushrooms are al dente. Remove from oven.
- Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl or directly in the baking dish, combine ginger garlic paste, minced green chili or bell pepper, chopped bell pepper, sambal oelek, soy sauce, ketchup, white vinegar, maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon salt, water, and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch. Mix thoroughly.
- Toss tofu and mushrooms in sauce. Add the sauce to the baking dish with tofu and mushrooms and toss everything together well to coat evenly.
- Finish baking to thicken sauce. Cover the dish with parchment paper and return to the oven. Bake for another 12 to 15 minutes until the sauce is boiling and thickened.
- Garnish and serve. Remove the dish from the oven, garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over rice, noodles, or with lettuce cups for a complete meal.
Notes
- Press tofu well to remove excess moisture for better texture and crispiness.
- You can adjust the spiciness by adding more or less green chili or sambal oelek.
- Use tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free option.
- This dish can be served with rice, noodles, or wrapped in lettuce leaves.
- To make it vegan, ensure ketchup does not contain animal products.
- To save time, prepare tofu and mushrooms ahead of baking and refrigerate.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegetarian
