Sweet & Sour Cauliflower with Tofu
The sweet comes from a reduction of pineapple juice and brown sugar, with a bit of sour from the rice vinegar, a little fish sauce for umami, and garlic for punch. This is a sheet pan dish – with the cauliflower and tofu being roasted until browned and tender. A bit of cornstarch helps everything crisp up before being doused in the syrupy tangy sauce. If you aren’t a huge fan of tofu, shrimp would also be excellent in this dish, but will take only about 5 minutes in the oven so don’t add it until the very end if you go this route.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- ¾ cup pineapple juice
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
For the cauliflower and tofu:
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 1 pound firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Steamed rice for serving
- Green onions and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the tofu into 3 slabs, then place between several layers of paper towels. Place something heavy on top of the tofu to press it and help it release extra liquid, and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Toss the cauliflower in the mixture, then place it on one side of the baking sheet. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and the remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Cut the tofu into cubes, then toss it in the cornstarch mixture. After the cauliflower has been roasting for 10 minutes, add the tofu to the empty half of the pan, spreading it out evenly, and return the pan to the oven for another 25 minutes. (Now is a good time to get your rice going).
- While that roasts, bring the pineapple juice and brown sugar to a simmer in a small pot. Cook it until it has reduced to a half cup. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the rice vinegar, soy sauce, grated garlic and fish sauce.
- After the cauliflower and tofu have been roasting for a total of 35 minutes, pour the sauce directly onto the pan. Return to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn the broiler on, and let it cook for about 2 minutes until everything is bubbling and browned. Watch it the whole time so it doesn’t burn!!!
- To serve, spoon rice into bowls and top with the cauliflower and tofu, spooning sauce from the pan over the top to season the rice. Garnish with green onions and cilantro.
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