Coconut rice with mango and avocado

The other day I got a craving for that drooly-delicious pan-fried tofu that I made a couple months ago and I knew I had to make more. But, instead of making the exact same dish, I decided to come up with a new flavor combo for my bowl. I decided to go with a tropical theme by combining my favorite savory coconut rice with mangoes, avocados, and a honey lime glaze for the tofu. The resulting Mango Coconut Tofu Bowls are truly epic.

HOW DO YOU MAKE TOFU CRISPY?

I love using this simple cornstarch pan fry technique to make my tofu crispy. It’s so incredibly easy. Just press the tofu to remove excess moisture, coat the tofu in a light dusting of cornstarch, then do a shallow pan fry in a little oil. The tofu turns out wonderfully crispy without having to deep fry.

Ingredients

Serving: 4

• 1 1/2 cup Jasmine rice, dry (uncooked)

• 1 clove(s) Garlic (minced)

• 3/4 tsp Salt

• 1 can(s) (13.5 oz) Coconut milk

• 1 cup Water

• 1/4 cup Lime juice (fresh)

• 1/2 tsp Lime peel (zest)

• 1/4 cup Honey

• 1/2 tbsp Soy sauce

• 1 tsp Cornstarch

• 1 pinch Salt

• 1 block (12oz) Tofu, regular, extra firm (pressed for at least 30 minutes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

• 2 tbsp Cornstarch

• 1 tbsp Olive oil

• 1 Mango (cut into cubes)

• 1 green onion (stem)

• 1 avocado(s) (sliced)

• 1 cup shredded Red cabbage

• 1 tsp Red pepper flakes (crushed)

• 4 sprig Cilantro (coriander) (fresh; chopped)

Notes:

Add additional vegetables, such as carrots, radish, and cucumbers as desired!

Instructions

1. To prepare the coconut rice, combine the uncooked rice, minced garlic, salt, coconut milk, and water in a medium pot. Cover with a lid and turn it to high heat until it reaches a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the pot to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and set aside.

2. While the rice is cooking, prepare the honey lime glaze. Combine the lime juice, lime zest, honey, soy sauce, and 1 tsp of cornstarch in a bowl. Stir until the cornstarch and honey dissolve.

3. Add a pinch of salt to the pressed tofu cubes. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of corn starch over the tofu cubes. Toss until well-coated.

4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and fry until golden brown on each side (about 3 minutes each side). Remove the fried tofu from the pan and reduce the heat to low.

5. Stir the prepared honey lime glaze, and add it to the skillet. Allow the glaze to start to simmer, at which point it will thicken. Once thickened, turn the heat off. Add the fried tofu and cubed mango to the skillet and toss to coat it in the glaze.

6. To assemble the bowls, place about 1 cup of the coconut rice in each bowl, then top with a scoop of the mango and tofu. Spread the green onions, avocado, red cabbage, red pepper flakes, and cilantro evenly on top of each bowl.