Sweet and Sour Tofu With Barberries
Silky and comforting, this dish draws inspiration from a Persian barberry khoresh (stew). In this adaptation, traditional chicken gives way to tofu, creating a vegan dish while preserving the inherent sweet-sour balance emblematic of Persian cuisine. Caramelized onions, carrots and oranges add sweetness, while the distinctive tartness is achieved through the addition of barberries, small red berries prized equally for their high acidity and their jewel-like appearance. They deepen to a rich red when cooked. Barberries can be hard to find — you could check your favorite specialty shop, or order them online — or simply substitute cranberries plus the addition of an extra teaspoon of vinegar. Sweet, sour and saucy, this tofu dish is best enjoyed with a side of rice.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 2(15-ounce) packages firm tofu, drained, halved horizontally then each piece cut into 6 cubes (24 cubes total)
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- Heaping ⅓ cup dried barberries (or dried cranberries; see Tip)
- ¼teaspoon saffron strands
- 2small yellow onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
- 2medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 1orange; 4 strips zest removed with a peeler then thinly sliced, plus ¼ cup juice
- 1cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- ½teaspoon ground allspice
- 2tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- ⅔cup cornstarch
- 2teaspoons granulated sugar or brown sugar
- 1teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Step 1
Pat the tofu dry with a clean kitchen towel, then transfer the tofu to a medium bowl and season with 2 teaspoons salt, gently mixing as you go to ensure an even coating of salt. Set aside to absorb for at least 15 minutes.Step 2
While the tofu sits, place the barberries in a small bowl and the saffron in another small bowl. Pour ½ cup of boiling water over each and set aside.Step 3
Add the onions, carrots, orange zest, ⅔ cup oil and 1 teaspoon salt to a large, high-sided skillet, and cook over high for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until the onions have softened and started to crisp up at the edges.Step 4
Drain the barberries through a small sieve, discarding the liquid, and add them to the onion mixture along with the garlic, cumin and allspice. Stir for 30 seconds, then remove the pan from the heat.Step 5
Transfer roughly 2 tablespoons of the onion mixture into a small bowl and add the pine nuts to make the topping.Step 6
Add the remaining 1/3 cup of oil to a large skillet set over high heat. Add the cornstarch to the tofu and toss until evenly coated (small clumps are fine). Once the oil is hot, transfer half of the tofu to the pan and cook for a minute on each side, just to seal, using tongs to gently turn the tofu, then repeat with the remaining tofu.Step 7
Remove from the heat and add the tofu to the high-sided skillet with the onions, along with the orange juice, saffron and saffron water, sugar, vinegar and 1 1/2 cups of water. Cook over medium-high, stirring gently for 1 minute, so that the sauce evenly coats the tofu, then leave to cook untouched until the oil starts to split out of the sauce, 3 to 5 minutes more.Step 8
Remove the pan from the heat and scatter over the pine nut topping. Sprinkle over the cilantro and serve straight from the pan.