Tofu Buddha Rolls
How pretty are these?! I gotta be honest though, I didn’t come up with this idea myself. Nope, I ordered something just like these pretty little rolls almost every time I dined at the Shady Shack in Bali. Lucky for us, these Buddha Rolls are fairly easy to re-create at home. No eighteen-hour flight required.
Tofu Buddha Rolls ( per serving )
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
a handful of mint leaves
a handful of cilantro
a handful of chives or green onions
coconut amino marinated + pan-fried super firm tofu. I love the high-protein, sprouted organic tofu from Wildwood
1 large English cucumber thinly sliced into long wide “noodles”. You can use a mandolin or you can thinly slice the cucumber with a sharp knife.
Coconut Amino Marinated + Pan-Fried Tofu ( one serving )
4 oz super firm organic tofu
2 tbs coconut aminos
1 tsp sesame oil
To make the pan-fried tofu, take about 4 oz of tofu and slice into 1/2 inch “sticks” . Then place tofu sticks into a shallow dish and pour about 2 tbs of coconut aminos over the tofu. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, turning once. Next, heat up a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil ( for flavor ). Add marinated tofu and pan-fry until golden brown ( A few minutes on each side ) Remove from heat and let cool to the touch.
To arrange the Buddha Rolls, lay cucumber noodles on a large cutting board. At one end of each cucumber noodle, pile on a tofu “stick”, whatever veggie fillings you desire and then roll to enclose fillings. Rolls can be secured with a toothpick if need be. Enjoyed with the Spicy Peanut Sauce below.
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce - makes about 14 oz
1/2 cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter
3/4 cup - 1 cup full-fat coconut milk ( depending on desired consistency )
1/4 cup of coconut sugar ( 2-3 tbs can be used instead if you want to reduce sugar content )
juice of 1 juicy lime
1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tsp sambal ( or sriracha )
1/2 inch piece of fresh peeled ginger
1 clove of garlic
Blend all ingredients in a highspeed blender until smooth. The sauce will thicken up ( a lot ) in the fridge. I’ve found that it’s better to reheat to thin out rather than adding additional liquids. Lasts for about 1 week in the fridge.
Hoisin Peanut Sauce - makes about 2 cups
1 and 1/3 cups of water
1 cup hoisin sauce
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1.5 Tbs minced shallot
1 Tb rice wine vinegar
2 tsp coconut sugar ( optional )
1 Tb sambal oelek or sriracha
*More water if needed for consistency
*In a small saucepan over med-high heat saute the minced shallot in a splash of water until translucent ( about 1-2 minutes ).
*Add water and hoisin and whisk until blended and bring to a low simmer. Add peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, and sambal and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.
*I like to serve this with crushed salted peanuts sprinkled on top. This makes a lot of sauce so feel free to cut the recipe in half. Stores well in the fridge for several days. Add more water to thin out if needed.