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Tamarind Tofu Soba

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PREP TIME
35 min
COOKING TIME
60 min
TOTAL TIME
185 min
SERVINGS
4 servings
Dinner
Tamarind Tofu Soba
Ingredients
  • 1 pound tamarind pods
  • hot water to cover
  • 1 (14 ounce) package firm tofu
  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
  • 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
  • 1 cup grated carrots
  • 1 cup diagonally sliced green onions
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
  • 4 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 5 ounces light soba noodles
  • 5 ounces dark soba noodles
Instructions
1
Begin by opening tamarind pods and extracting the soft, edible flesh into a large container. Submerge the pulp in hot water to allow it to soften, taking about 1 hour to achieve this. Use a spoon to press the softened tamarind through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding any seeds or tough fibers that remain. Measure out half a cup of the extracted pulp and set it aside for later use.
2
Next, cut 6 rectangular pieces of tofu into smaller triangles. Cut these triangles in half diagonally to create a total of 24 triangular pieces. Line the tofu pieces on paper towels, pressing them gently to remove excess moisture and allowing about 30 minutes for this process.
3
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
4
Dip each tofu triangle into 2 tablespoons of peanut oil, coating them evenly before arranging them on the prepared baking sheet.
5
Place the tofu triangles in the preheated oven and bake until they are golden brown, taking about 45 to 60 minutes to achieve this.
6
In a separate pan or wok, toast peanuts and sesame seeds over medium heat until they are fragrant. Transfer the toasted mixture to a bowl for later use.
7
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of peanut oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced cucumber, carrots, green onions, and red bell pepper to the pan. Cook just until these vegetables are crisp-tender, taking about 2 minutes.
8
Transfer the cooked vegetable mixture to a bowl for later use.
9
Heat an additional 1 1/2 teaspoons of peanut oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is fragrant. This should take about 30 seconds.
10
Add the measured tamarind pulp, orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, grated ginger, sugar, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Simmer the mixture over medium heat until it is well combined, taking about 3 minutes.
11
Stir in the baked tofu triangles, peanuts, and sesame seeds into the sauce. Fold in the cooked cucumber mixture.
12
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add light and dark soba noodles to the pot, cooking them stirring occasionally until they are tender, taking about 3 minutes. Drain the noodles and transfer them to a large bowl.
13
Top the cooked soba noodles with the tofu and cucumber mixture.