Fried Coconut Tofu Strips with Mango Yogurt Sauce

Uno mas dia to Friday!

How do you like my Spanglish? Impressive, eh?

Does anyone have plans to take ta-kwilla shots this weekend? Well, not this chica! Even the thought of tequila makes me choke a little.

This is probably because my last experience with tequila was late one night after work when I decided it would be a good idea to skip dinner and simultaneously consume way too many Reese’s Pieces. I’ll give you two guesses what came after that…

Yeah, so no tequila for me. Actually, I completely forgot it was Cinco de Mayo this weekend. With Mother’s Day and Brandon’s birthday falling two days apart, my mind is just a tad distracted from Corona and sombreros. Not that I wouldn’t love both of those and a Mexican beach right about now. Brandon?  (He’s never going to stop hear me talk about tropical beaches until he takes me to one…mark my words.)

Anyway, I am totally going to pretend this recipe is festive enough for Cinco de Mayo. Tofu is so Mexican, am I right? No? Okay, what about coconut? Mango?

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Well, if all else fails, there’s cilantro and lime in the sauce, so ha!

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Seriously though, when I saw the recipe for coconut chicken strips I went a little crazy. I wanted them in my mouth, ASAP…minus the chicken.

Enter…French toast sticks, I mean, tofu strips.

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They do kind of look like French toast sticks, right? Don’t worry, they don’t taste like French toast. They taste like coconut coated goodness smothered with creamy yogurt sauce. Yes.

 

Fried Coconut Tofu Strips

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Adapted from The Cozy Apron and OhSheGlows

  • 1 package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (I used organic, non-GMO tofu)
  • 1/2 cup whole grain flour (I used a blend of quinoa and whole wheat flour)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chives, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2 whole eggs, beaten (for vegan version use 1/2 cup non dairy milk + 1 T cornstarch)
  • 1/2 shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened

Makes 16 strips

Mango Yogurt Sauce

  • 1/2 cup frozen or fresh mango, diced
  • 6 ounces non-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha (hot sauce)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

**If you’re like me and you don’t have a tofu press, you can press it by stacking a few heavy books on top. Make sure to rinse the tofu first, then wrap it in a few absorbent towels and place several textbooks on top. I let mine sit for a few hours but one hour should be sufficient.

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To prepare the yogurt sauce, it is easiest to use a food processor but it can also be made without.

1. Start by finely chopping the cilantro, then add the mango and pulse until chunky.

2. Add-in the yogurt along with the lime juice, salt & pepper, and hot sauce and pulse until a smooth sauce has formed. Pour the sauce into a bowl and allow to chill in refrigerator while you prepare the tofu strips.

3. In a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium to high heat.

4. Grab a shallow bowl and combine flour, cumin, salt & pepper.

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5. Place two beaten eggs into a second bowl and 1/2 cup shredded coconut with minced chives into a third.

6. Line the bowls up behind your cutting board and begin slicing the tofu down the wider side a little less than 1/2 inch thick. You don’t want to slice them too thin or the tofu will break apart.

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7. Start by coating the tofu strips with flour first and then dip them in the egg. After they are covered in egg, roll them in the coconut until well coated.

8. Place the strips in the skillet with oil and allow to cook for about 5 minutes on each side.

9. Transfer them to a plate covered with a paper towel to help soak up the excess oil while they cool.

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10. Dip them in creamy mango yogurt sauce and stuff into your face! Laughing out loud

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I really enjoyed these and it made me realize that I need more tofu in my life. You might be seeing it again sometime soon.

Between the coconut and the mango sauce, this was definitely a sweet and savory kind of meal. If you prefer something a little less sweet and spicy, you can use this cilantro-lime yogurt sauce in place of the mango sauce.

 

Has anyone been watching American Idol? Is it just me or do Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj hate each other? Catty women! Kree is still my top runner, she’s so dang sweet.

 

Do you like tofu?

Do you have plans for tequila or Cinco de Mayo?