Tofu Fried Rice With Crispy Okra
The name of this dish says it all. Tofu fried rice with crispy Okra is a vegetarian dish that was discovered in my kitchen. It is so delicious, it will blow your mind! As some of you may know, I love experimenting with ingredients I have on hand for easy weeknight dinners. And let me just say, it turned out exactly as I expected. This is why I could not wait to share it with you guys.
In our home, we try and eat a meatless meal at least once a week and this Tofu fried rice topped with crispy and crunchy okra hit the spot. Although, it was super experimental, it will be the most requested dish amongst my family and now yours for sure.
Now, it may seem like there are quite a few steps to make this but all these steps are extremely quick and easy. You can also prep ahead too if you like. Either way, it’ll come together faster than ordering take out and its definitely better than take out. Trust me!
Ingredients
Tofu: I used tofu for this recipe because as I said earlier, I try to make at-least a few meals that are meatless throughout the week and also tofu is my 3 year old’s favorite. You can use shrimp, or sliced beef or chicken if you like. I am also going to make this with sliced rib-eye, I think it’ll be delicious.
If you want to stick to this crispy tofu just use half a block and store the rest in water in an air-tight container. Anyway, I season and fry it for extra flavor and to make it crispy and delicious. The texture is amazing in the fried rice.
Okra : I start with cutting the Okra in thin slices. The trick to avoid the slimy strings in the Okra is to make sure they are completely dry after you rinse them and before you start slicing them. Now that the okra is all sliced perfectly , all I do is season it with salt, turmeric, chili powder and some cornstarch. After frying, I top this beautiful crispy and super flavorful Okra on the fried rice and Viola!
Veggies: Although I think taking your time to chop and slice veggies is extremely therapeutic, it can become the opposite. Especially when you have a million of other things that need to be crossed off on your list. And of course your toddler needs your undivided attention in the midst of it. So for this reason I opt for the Asian style frozen veggies. Just before adding the crispy okra, we toss the veggies and rice together in an easy asian sauce and create delicious fried rice.
Rice: Just like any fried rice, you want to make sure you’re using cold rice for this dish as well. About a cup of uncooked rice or two cups of boiled rice. Add it to the veggies and top with tofu and crispy Okra.
Now that I have described the star ingredients in detail. Here is how you make this delicious tofu fried rice, with the mouthwatering crunchy okra that you will fall in love with.
Tofu Fried Rice with Crispy Okra
Ingredients
Crispy Tofu
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 7 ounces Extra Firm Tofu About half packet cut in cubes
- 1 tsp Corn Starch
- ¼ tsp Chili powder
- ¼ tsp Cumin powder
Cispy Okra
- ¼ cup Neutral Oil
- ½ lb Okras thinly sliced
- 1 tbs Corn Starch
- ½ tsp Chili powder
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
Fried Rice
- 1 large Egg scrambled
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 12 ounces Asian Style Vegetables I use frozen
- 2 cups Boiled Rice cold
- 2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Pepper
- ¾ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Start by heating a large wok. Add oil and fry Tofu until golden brown on all sides. Set aside.
- Next, in the same wok add more oil and fry your okras in batches until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel.
- Now add butter to the wok and heat until melted. Add frozen or fresh vegetables and saute on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add boiled rice and toss with veggies until rice starts to change color.
- Add Soy Sauce and Sesame oil and keep tossing in wok for 4-5 minutes.
- Next add the scrambled egg and tofu. Toss again for a minute.
- Season with salt and pepper and top with crispy Okras.