If you love tofu and you know it clap yo hands. *CLAP CLAP*
I was happy to see SO many of you making my tofu nachos from last month that I decided to create yet another tofu recipe that’s perfect for meal prep and one that’s also inspired by my latest travel adventure in Australia where thai and tropical flavors were prominent and often paired together.
The dish I had was a fusion of macadamia nuts, coconut milk, sweet potatoes, rice and tofu. Basically it was a creamy, warm bowl of veggies and that’s exactly what I’ve recreated for you today. It’s the perfect recipe for getting back into a routine in the new year, which, if you’re like me, is much-needed after traveling.
One of the best things about cooking with tofu is that it adopts pretty much any flavors that you add to it. In this recipe I stuck with super simple ingredients because January calls for going to to the basics:
Brown rice: Brown rice has a delicious, almost nutty flavor, plus it’s naturally gluten-free and packs a punch of fiber.
Sweet potatoes: These babies have tons of vitamin A and fiber. I like to add them to bowls like this one because they keep you feeling satisfied.
Macadamia nuts: My new obsession ever since I visited Australia. I swear they put macadamia nuts in everything over there and they are SO good. They’re rich, almost buttery, and are a great source of extra iron + protein. They’re going to be in quite a few recipes I have coming up so buy a big bag and get ready to party with the mac.
Nasoya extra firm tofu: My go-to for creating easy, delicious plant-based meals. I’ve been loving experimenting with all of the different ways to cook with tofu, and get especially excited when Tony loves them as much as I do. AKA THE DREAMY NACHOS.
In this particular recipe, I decided to try something new to create slightly crispy flavorful tofu edges without deep frying; I tossed the tofu in coconut flour and spices, then pan fried them in a little coconut oil. The results were OUTSTANDING and I’ve been loving coming home to this perfectly portioned meal prepped dish.
If you’ve been traveling or just had a busy schedule the past few weeks – remember that it’s okay to start out slowwww. When I got back in town I started out with a light spin class before hitting the gym for my usual weight training classes. To refuel, I’ve had meals like these Macadamia Coconut Tofu Bowls on hand to make sure I’m not freaking starving while I’m waiting for dinner to cook.
I know you’re going to be just as in love with these are you were with the tofu nachos. If you want you can add peas or green beans in with the sweet potato coconut milk mixture for an extra dose of veggies. Enjoy!
P.S. Along with their traditional silken, firm, and extra-firm tofu types, Nasoya also has TofuBaked, which is tofu that has already been marinated and baked so that it’s ready to eat hot or cold. It’s a great option for lunches and dinners in a pinch. I think the sesame ginger flavor would be absolutely delicious in this recipe too!
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram, or leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how you liked it.
More healthy vegan recipes to try:
Vegan Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas with Jalapeño Cashew Crema
Ultimate Vegan Black Bean Burgers with Tahini Garlic Sauce
Vegan Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl with Orange Sesame Almond Butter Dressing
Vegan White Bean & Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut Squash, Chickpea & Lentil Moroccan Stew
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Vegan Macadamia Coconut Tofu Bowls
Ingredients
- For the brown rice:
- 1 cup short grain brown rice
- 2 cups water
- Pinch of salt
- For the tofu:
- 1 package Extra Firm Nasoya Tofu
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- For the sweet potato coconut milk mixture
- 1 (15) oz can light coconut milk
- 1 large sweet potato, diced into ½ inch cubes
- 1 red pepper, cut into large chunks
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- To assemble:
- 1 (5 oz) package baby spinach
- 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
- Freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the rice: Place water and brown rice in a medium pot along with a pinch of salt and place over high heat. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 35-45 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is cooked and slightly chewy. Fluff with a fork then remove from heat.
- To cook the tofu: Wrap a few paper towels around the extra firm tofu and squeeze gently to release extra liquid. We want to get it as dry as possible without it crumbling.
- Next cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes. Place into a large bowl and add in the coconut flour, salt, cumin and cayenne. Gently toss to combine.
- Add coconut oil to a large nonstick skillet and place over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add in tofu, cooking for about 3-4 minutes per side until slightly golden brown. Once done, transfer to a plate for later.
- To cook the sweet potatoes: In the same skillet, add in the coconut milk, sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, turmeric and salt. Bring to a simmer and allow the sweet potatoes to cook for 10-15 minutes until fork tender. The coconut milk should reduce nicely.
- Assemble the bowls by adding ¼ of the brown rice, ¼ of the sweet potato/coconut milk mixture (you can mix it with the rice if you’d like), ¼ of the tofu, and a handful of spinach. Top with macadamia nuts and cilantro.
- Serve immediately or place in meal prep containers for lunches/dinner throughout the week.
Nutrition
This post is in partnership with Nasoya Tofu, a product I use and trust. Thanks for supporting AK and the brands that help make this site possible!
I make this all the time! It’s one of my favourite tofu meals. I can’t have coconut flour so I sub almond flour 3:1. It’s hard to time it so the rice, sweet potatoes and the tofu is ready all at the same time but I mostly cook for myself so I don’t mind. It makes great leftovers as long as you keep the 3 things in separate containers.
Made this last night. The only thing I changed from the recipe was that I didn’t have any coconut flour so I used some unsweetened shredded coconut in my spice grinder to make the “flour”. The tofu was pretty decent last night when I sampled it. Not so much today for lunch with meal prepping for the week. The sweet potato coconut and peppers were really good though. That sauce is what made it. Having it simmer in the same pan and picking up the leftover bit from my “flour” helped a lot in flavor and thickening up the sauce. Having it all in one dish for the sauce to run over everything was key. Next time I will definitely double up the coconut milk sauce and possibly drizzle some seasoned rice vinegar or something over the tofu after its drained to give it more flavor. Will absolutely make again, and that’s coming from a dude who loves his meat and taters.
Glad you liked this one, Jason! As for the tofu – the real deal coconut flour will give it a better consistency than shredded coconut (which is probably why the next day it was a little “off”). All about adding some more sauce!
Awesome recipe! Cooking it now and the tofu is delicious! Thank you for sharing your amazing creations!
Question- should I cover the sweet potato/ red bell pepper/ coconut milk mixture while it is simmering?
You’re so welcome! I hope you loved this one 🙂 You don’t have to cover the mixture, but definitely can!
I’m definitely going to make this! I haven’t cooked with coconut milk but I’m pretty sure I will love it. I like your recipe for seasoning and coating the Tofu in coconut flour:)
I hope you love this one! The coconut milk adds a delicious flavor in here. Enjoy!
I just got back from Hawaii and also have a new found obsession with Macadamia nuts! I already bought a bag and made some macadamia nut milk, which could frequently be found in coffee shops there. I have extra on hand so I can’t wait to see what recipes you come up with!
Macadamia nut milk is so good! I’m so excited to incorporate them in more recipes 🙂 Enjoy!