Jerk Tofu with Rice & Peas

Bring the carnival to your kitchen with this hearty, protein-rich and delicious dish – comfort food at its best!

 

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients

Jerk marinade

  • If you’re short of time you can pour over a shop-bought jerk marinade, making sure the tofu is covered on both sides

  • 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled

  • ½ onion, roughly chopped

  • Thumbnail of ginger, peeled

  • 1 bunch spring onions, ends removed

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari if gluten-free)

  • 2 tbsp neutral oil (eg rapeseed)

  • 2-3 tbsp brown sugar

  • 2 tsp allspice

  • ¼ tsp cinnamon (optional)

Tofu (marinating stage)

  • 600g/21 oz firm tofu (approx.), drained and patted dry then cut into slices around 0.5cm thick

Rice & peas

  • 300g/10.5 oz basmati rice

  • 1 x 400g/14 oz tin coconut milk

  • 450ml/2 (scant) cups cold water

  • ¼ tsp allspice

  • 2 sprigs thyme

  • 1 x 400g/14 oz tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 1 bunch spring onions, ends removed and finely sliced

Tofu (frying stage)

  • 6 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari if gluten-free)

  • 6 tbsp nutritional yeast

Mango salsa (optional)

  • 1 large ripe mango, diced

  • 1 large avocado, diced

  • ½ red onion, finely diced

  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • Bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

  • Drizzle of olive oil

  • 1 clove garlic, crushed

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Jerk marinade

  1. Blitz all the ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor until smooth. Don’t be tempted to add water as the sauce needs to be thick.

  2. Try the marinade and then add more sugar, soy sauce or lime juice if necessary, until the flavours are balanced.

Tofu (marinating stage)

  1. Cover the sliced tofu in the marinade (on both sides) and rub it in. Leave in the fridge for a minimum of an hour, ideally (if you don’t have time, you can use it immediately but the flavours won’t have absorbed quite as much).

Rice and Peas

  1. Rinse and drain the rice using cold water.

  2. Add all of the ingredients to a medium-sized saucepan apart from the kidney beans.

  3. Put the lid on the pan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.

  4. Add the kidney beans after 10 minutes and then simmer for another 5 minutes with the lid off.

Tofu (frying stage)

  1. Whilst the rice is cooking, heat some oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and then add the marinated tofu slices to the pan.

  2. Stir through the soy sauce and nutritional yeast.

  3. Fry on both sides until golden.

Serving suggestions: coleslaw, collard or spring greens, corn on the cob, fresh thyme leaves, fried plantain (fry slices of ripe plantain on either side in a little oil and salt), grilled pineapple, pan-fried broccoli, steamed or fried kale

Sophie EarleyComment