Name: Tofu Satay with noodles
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 500 Firm tofu (g); 3 Light soy sauce (tbsp); 1 Rice vinegar (tbsp); 2 Brown sugar (tbsp); 6 Garlic cloves; 2 Fresh ginger (thumb-sized pieces); 1 Cucumber; 300 White vinegar (ml); 300 Boiling water (ml); 1 Salt (tsp); 1 Sugar (tsp); 4 Neutral oil (tbsp); 200 Crunchy peanut butter (g); 120 Full-fat coconut milk (ml); 1.5 Sambal badjak (tbsp); 2 Soy sauce (tbsp); 1 Ketjap manis (tbsp); 0.5 Lime (juiced); 12 Long skewers; 360 Knife-cut noodles (g); 2 Crispy chili oil (tsp); Fried onions (to taste); Fresh cilantro (to taste)

Method

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If you choose to freeze the tofu: place the block of tofu (in its packaging) in the freezer the day before you want to make this. Take it out on the day you plan to cook and let it thaw at room temperature.

Cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes. Finely grate half of the garlic and finely chop half of your ginger.

Place the tofu cubes in a deep, sealable plastic container. Add the light soy sauce, rice vinegar, 1 (half of total) tbsp of brown sugar, the grated garlic, and the chopped ginger.

Put the lid tightly on the container and shake well. Let this marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Make the quick pickled cucumber by slicing the cucumber very thinly. Place the slices in a bowl and pour over the white vinegar and boiling water. Add the salt and sugar and stir briefly. Push down so all the cucumber is submerged and let it sit.

Soak the wooden skewers in a bowl of water (so they don’t burn in the oven).

Preheat the oven to 180C (conventional oven). Thread the marinated tofu cubes onto the skewers (about 4-5 cubes per skewer) and lay them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Drizzle the tofu skewers with 2 tbsp of neutral oil. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180C (or 14 minutes in an airfryer).

Meanwhile, make the satay sauce. Finely chop the remaining cloves of garlic and the other half of the fresh ginger.

Heat 1 tbsp of neutral oil in a small saucepan. Sauté the garlic and ginger for a minute, then add the peanut butter, coconut milk, sambal badjak, soy sauce, ketjap manis, 1 (half of total) tbsp of brown sugar, and lime juice. Turn the heat to low and let it bubble for a few minutes while stirring well. Add a bit more coconut milk if you prefer a thinner sauce.

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions and drain them, but save a small splash of the cooking water.

Add 3 tbsp of your homemade satay sauce and 2 tsp of crispy chili oil to the drained noodles. Stir this briefly together with the saved noodle cooking water. Season the noodles with some extra soy sauce if desired.

Serve the noodles topped with the tofu satay skewers, the pickled cucumbers, extra satay sauce, and generously garnish with fried onions and fresh cilantro.

Notes

• Freezing the tofu (Step 1) is optional but highly recommended. It changes the structure and ensures the tofu absorbs the marinade much better. You can skip directly to step 2 if you are short on time.