Tofu and Vegetables in Soy Peanut sauce

Getting back to work after a 2.5 year hiatus is tough indeed but a lot better than what I had anticipated. Being on an ever-constrained schedule these days,  I notice  that I have become much more organized than before and have even transformed into a 5:00 AM 'early bird' which is quite unlike me. I do manage to get time to cook too but hardly enough to do justice to my blog. Last night I attempted a vegetarian dish that I thought came out quite well and inspired me to pull out the camera to click a few pictures. This recipe is essentially an Asian style stir- fry with peanut-soy sauce that makes it slightly sweet and tangy. 

Serves 6

Ingredients 
1 pack (14oz / 400gm) – Firm Tofu
1 lb – Broccoli florets
1 – Red Bell pepper
1 - Yellow bell pepper
1 - Onion
6 cloves – Garlic
1 Tsp – Grated Ginger
Sesame oil
Salt to taste
1Tsp – Toasted Sesame seeds

Sauce 
¼ Cup – Peanut butter (I used the chunky version)
1/8 Cup – Soy Sauce
1/8 Cup - Honey
½ Cup – Tomato Ketchup
2 Tbsp – Worcestershire sauce
1 Cup – Water
1 Tsp – Lime Juice
½ Tsp - Paprika
½ Tsp – Grated Ginger
1 clove – Grated Garlic

Directions

• Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a non-stick pan.
• Season Tofu with salt and shallow fry until you get a dark golden color. Transfer Tofu to a dish
• Add some more sesame oil to the pan.
• Mix in crushed garlic, ginger and onions and sauté until the onions are translucent.
• Stir in the Carrots, Broccoli, Bell-peppers and sauté for 5 mins. The vegetable should not be over cooked as they would lose the crunch and color. Transfer the vegetables to the dish along with the Tofu.
• In a separate bowl, mix in all the ingredients for the sauce.
• Add the sauce to the pan and when the sauce starts to bubble add the stir fried vegetables and Tofu. Toss everything together just until they are mixed. 
• Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions

Notes and Tips

• The vegetables should not be over cooked as they would lose the nice crunch and color
• Using sesame oil not only improves the taste but is also a good oil for stir-frying due to its high smoke-point
• The ingredients in the sauce have salt in them so be careful while seasoning with additional salt.