This Quinoa Fried Rice with Crispy Tofu is full of fresh cut veggies and tossed with sesame oil and soy sauce. It is one of my favorite weeknight dinners because it is so quick, easy and healthy!
The best part about fried rice is that you can throw in just about any veggies that are in your fridge. In this one, I used carrots and cabbage, after adding aromatics of onion, garlic and ginger.
Feel free to add in broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, corn, peas, or any of your other favorite veggies!
I used my new Tuo Cutlery knives to slice up all the veggies. It’s been awhile since I’ve had brand new knives and wow, do these cut beautifully! The knives are so sleeve and feel great in my hand! Tuo Cutlery has a wide variety of high quality steel knives – shown here is the Chefs’s Knife and Nakiri Knife.
The key to fried rice is using day-old rice, and the story is the same with quinoa!
In the fridge, the rice/quinoa firms up, which helps to prevent a mushy fried rice. It’s best to use any leftover rice or quinoa, but if you don’t have time, try to let the quinoa cool before mixing it into the pan.
The crispier the tofu the better.
The trick to crispy tofu is a patted dry tofu, a hot pan, and patience. Pat dry the tofu with paper towels or clean kitchen towels. To test if the pan is hot enough, flick a few drops of water on the pan. The pan is hot when the water sizzles and evaporates immediately. Once the pan is hot, carefully add the tofu so that as much surface area of the tofu is touching the pan. Once it hits the pan, don’t touch it! Let it sizzle and cook for about 3 minutes, until you see it browned and crispy. Flip the tofu and do the same on the other side.
You can substitute the tofu with your protein of choice, add a few scrambled eggs, or top with a fried egg!
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If you made this recipe, please share your comments, send me a message, or post a picture on Instagram!
Quinoa Fried Rice with Crispy Tofu
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp avocado oil divided
- 1 block firm tofu (14oz)
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp ginger, diced
- 2 cups carrots, chopped
- 2 cups green cabbage, chopped
- 4 cups quinoa, cooked day-old preferred
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce, low sodium
- 2.5 Tbsp sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 green onion for garnish
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Make the crispy tofu: In a large wok or pan, heat 1.5 Tbsp avocado oil over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add tofu, laying each piece flat on the pan. Let the tofu cook (without moving it!) for 3-4 minutes, until browned. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes, until browned. Place crispy tofu in a bowl and set aside.
- In the same large pan, heat the rest of the avocado oil. Add onions, stir fry for 3-4 minutes, until slightly translucent. Add garlic and ginger, stir fry for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add carrots, stir fry for 2-3 minutes, until slightly soft and cooked. Add green cabbage and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add cooked quinoa, crispy tofu, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir to coat and salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with green onions, toasted sesame seeds and a (optional) fried egg!
2 Comments
Stephanie Drazich
March 3, 2015 at 7:38 pmYour fried egg is so darn perfect in this pic! Yumm!!
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