Quick vegetarian tofu and veg stir-fry
Bright, speedy stir-fry with crispy tofu, aubergine and courgette in a glossy soy-sesame sauce — perfect for weeknights.
This is the sort of stir-fry you can toss together midweek and still feel smug about. Crispy cornflour-coated tofu meets aubergine, courgette and mushrooms in a sticky soy-sesame sauce — all the texture and flavour without faff.
Make it on a high hob, keep the veg vibrant and serve with rice or noodles. It reheats well, too, if you want leftovers for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
- 400 g firm tofu — drained
- 45 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml sesame oil
- 40 g cornflour — for coating and thickening
- 30 ml rapeseed oil
- 3 garlic cloves — finely grated
- 25 g fresh ginger — finely grated
- 1 brown onion — thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper — thinly sliced
- 150 g carrot — cut into matchsticks
- 200 g courgette — halved and sliced
- 250 g aubergine — cut into 2cm cubes
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms — halved
- 2 pak choi — halved lengthways
- 4 spring onions — sliced on the diagonal
- 1 lime — juice and wedges to serve
- 15 ml honey
- 15 ml rice wine vinegar
- 150 ml vegetable stock
- 10 g brown sugar
- 15 g sesame seeds — toasted
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
- 5 ml sea salt — plus extra to taste
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 5 ml red chilli flakes — optional, to taste
Equipment
- wok or large non-stick frying pan
- baking tray
- microplane or fine grater
Instructions
Press the tofu: wrap the drained block of firm tofu in kitchen paper and place on a baking tray. Put a second tray or a flat board on top and weigh it down with tins. Leave to press on the bench for 15 minutes, replacing the kitchen paper if it gets very wet.
Meanwhile make the sauce: in a small bowl whisk together light soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, grated garlic and grated ginger until the sugar has mostly dissolved.
Cut the pressed tofu into 2cm cubes, toss gently in the cornflour with a pinch of sea salt so each piece is lightly coated.
Heat a large frying pan or wok over a high hob until very hot, add half the rapeseed oil and fry the tofu in a single layer, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides (about 8–10 minutes). Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Wipe the pan, add the remaining rapeseed oil and set to high heat. Add brown onion, carrot and aubergine and stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the aubergine starts to soften.
Add red pepper, courgette and chestnut mushrooms and stir-fry for a further 3 minutes until the mushrooms release their juices and the veg are bright and just tender.
Mix a smooth slurry by whisking 20g cornflour with about 40ml cold water. Pour the prepared sauce, the cornflour slurry and the vegetable stock into the pan with the veg, add pak choi and spring onions, and cook for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and glazes the vegetables.
Return the fried tofu to the pan, toss gently in the glossy sauce for 1–2 minutes so it heats through and picks up flavour. Check seasoning and add red chilli flakes, extra sea salt or black pepper if needed.
Serve straight from the pan scattered with toasted sesame seeds, chopped fresh coriander and lime wedges to squeeze over.
Tips
- Press the tofu well — it's the single best move for achieving crunchy edges rather than limp squares.
- Fry the tofu in one or two batches so you don't drop the temperature of the pan; a hot pan = crisp tofu.
- Prepare the sauce and slurry before you start stir-frying; once the veg are on the hob everything moves quickly.
- If you prefer a smokier flavour, finish with a tiny drizzle of toasted sesame oil (use sparingly).
- Make-ahead: press and cut tofu the day before and keep wrapped in the fridge to save time.
Substitutions
firm tofu → halloumi, cut into 2cm cubes and treated the same way
Noticeably differentlight soy sauce → tamari in the same quantity (gluten-free option)
Stays closerapeseed oil → peanut oil in the same quantity (higher smoke point)
Stays closehoney → maple syrup in the same quantity (vegan option)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 355
- Calories
- 12 g
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegan?
Yes — swap the honey for maple syrup and check your soy sauce/stock for any animal-derived additives. The rest of the recipe is plant-based.
How do I get the tofu extra crispy?
Press it thoroughly, dust off excess cornflour, and fry in a very hot pan in a single layer without overcrowding. Turn only when golden.
Can I use other vegetables?
Absolutely — broccoli, sugar snap peas or baby corn work well. Adjust cooking order so denser veg cook longer.
Will the sauce become gummy if I over-thicken it?
Yes — add the cornflour slurry gradually and stop as soon as the sauce coats the veg. If it gets too thick, stir in a splash more vegetable stock or water.
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