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In need of a quick (30-minute!), easy, and extra-flavorful tofu recipe? I have got you covered with this one! Introducing Eggplant & Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sauce! Chewy tofu meets extra tender eggplant in a rich, creamy, spicy satay peanut sauce!
Just 30 minutes and 10 ingredients are required! That’s all it takes to make this peanutty tofu dish!
First, you want to sauté the tofu until golden brown. You can shallow-fry or deep fry. Frying the tofu not only gives it a more chewy texture but also prevents it from crumbling once we add the sauce.
Once your tofu is golden brown, set aside. It’s time to sauté the eggplant until tender.
Make sure your eggplant is cooked through and super tender; you don’t want a crispy or undercooked texture here.
A quick tip: I highly recommend peeling the eggplant for a better texture and less bitterness.
Now onto the sauce, which is where all the flavors are! The peanut sauce consists of peanut butter (smooth or crunchy, it’s up to you!), soy sauce, lime juice, and maple syrup. Then we have minced ginger, garlic, and sriracha for the aromatics for spiciness.
Stir the eggplant and tofu with the peanut sauce, cook for another 5 minutes, and serve hot on a bed of rice! It’s super saucy, rich, comforting, and packed with flavor!
This dish is best served immediately. It can be served the next day (it’s still delicious!), but it won’t be as saucy since the tofu and the eggplant will absorb some peanut sauce.
Are you looking for more tofu recipes? Check out this Stuffed Tofu in Spicy Tomato Sauce, Teriyaki Tofu Nigiri with Crispy Shallots, or these Sweet & Sour Tofu Bowls!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Eggplant & Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 7 ounces firm tofu diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 medium eggplant peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
Peanut Sauce
- 3 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1/2 inch ginger minced
- 2 tsp sriracha
- 1/4 cup water
- for serving: white rice, chopped cilantro, roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick skillet. Once hot, add the diced tofu and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown on each side. Transfer the tofu to a plate and set aside.
- Heat another tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick skillet. Once hot, add the diced eggplant and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender and cooked. In the meantime, prepare the sauce.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, minced garlic, ginger, sriracha, and water.
- Once the eggplant is tender, add the tofu back to the skillet. Pour in the peanut satay sauce and stir to coat. Cook for 3-5 minutes to let the eggplant and tofu absorb some of the sauce.
- Serve warm on top of steamed rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice!
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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My husband made this tonight. It was delicious. A little spicy, super savory, and all around tasty.
Glad you liked it! 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!
So delicious Thomas, thank you, recipe has gone to my ‘favourites’ file
5/5
Thanks Maria! 🙂
Really quick and simple to make and VERY tasty! We had it with noodles.
Thank you Thomas.
Thank you Anne!
Will be trying this in the near future, looks delish!!!!!!~
Thanks Laurie! Hope you will like it!
I had this tonight for dinner, it was super delicious and so quick and simple! Absolutely perfect combination of ingredients.
Thanks for your feedback Mafalda!
Thomas,
You nailed the peanut sauce. We had this dish last night and it is wonderful.
Jim
Thanks Jim!
Thomas,
You nailed the peanut sauce. We had this dish last night and it was exceptional. We will be using it in other satay-type dishes.
Jim
Glad you liked it 🙂 I appreciate your feedback!
This recipe is a winner! I added a chopped bell pepper to saute along with the eggplant, and it turned out great! I will definitely be adding this to my rotation.
Thanks so much for your feedback Matthew! 🙂
I have been disheartened for such a long time as many of my favourite Asian meal recipes require this sauce and I couldn’t find a vegan gluten free version. That is until now! I was unsure how it would taste due to the amount of miso as I’m not a huge fan, but knowing your recipes I was sure I was on to a winner and of course it is delicious! Thank you Thomas, always blown away by your recipes.
Thanks for your great feedback Chrinista 🙂
However there is no miso in this recipe ^^
I plan to make this, but with broccoli florets & sliced mushrooms (& fresh spinach if I have it) instead of the eggplant. The results should be very similar to a Thai dish I love called Pra Ram, so thanks so much for this easy recipe!
You’re welcome 😉
YAMMY!!!
I was salting the eggplant while it was cooking, I should have doen it with the tofu as well.
When I just read the recipe I thought it was too much peanut butter and soy sauce but it was perfect.
Thank you.
Glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Hi! 🙂
I want to use this dish for meal prep. Do you happen to know how many grams are in one serving?
Thank You, I cant wait to try this dish, it looks so good!!
Hi Nia,
I’m afraid I do not have this information, sorry. Hope you will enjoy this dish 😉
Delicious! Thank you so much for sharing. I used smoked tofu in mine as well as some red bell pepper & red onion that needed eating. Topped with some coriander and sesame seeds. Divine! Will definitely make again. Now.,., what to do with my spare half lime 🙂 XX
Thanks for your feedback Anne 🙂
I loved this combo recipe. Amazing. Thank you for sharing Thomas!
You’re welcome Emy 😉
Very delicious, thank you for this great recipe! We always prepare double of the amount of the sauce, to make it perfect for us.
Glad you liked it, Agnes! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Easy and tasty.
Will definitely make again!
Thank you! 🙂
Another delicious meal! My goal is to try each and everyone of your recipes. Kind of like the movie Julie and Julia, where you’re Julia and I’m Julie . 🙂 Thank You!
Thanks so much for your feedback 😉