Vegan Hawaiian-Japanese Baked Tofu
In Hawaii, we pass down recipes between family members and friends to share at large dinner parties. This recipe was passed down from my aunty to my mom and now to me. Although the recipe takes a bit of time and preparation, food is such an integral part of Hawaiian and Japanese culture so it’s normal to spend hours in the kitchen preparing delicious homemade meals to enjoy with loved ones.
On special occasions, my mom would make her famous tofu bake which is so addictive, the platter would be wiped clean within minutes. I always begged her to make this dish for me when I would visit home for Christmas but after seeing the cooking process with my own eyes, I understood how laborious the dish is to make. This recipe has quite a bit of ingredient preparation and cook time, not to mention how unhealthy the original recipe is. But today, I am honoring my mother and all the hours she put into making her famous tofu bake for our family by recreating this recipe to be slightly healthier with all natural ingredients, no processed sugar, and completely veganized. Thank you to my mom for teaching me the beauty of putting hard work and time into cooking dishes to share with loved ones. ♡
INGREDIENTS:
Makes: 12 servings | Cook time: 1.5-2 hours
Tofu base ingredients:
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
4 eggs (or 3/4 cup of Just Egg)
1 can of jackfruit, drained and de-seeded
2 blocks of firm tofu, pressed for 30 minutes prior to mixing
1 small can of bamboo shoots, sliced
1 large carrot, grated
6 stalks of green onions, chopped
5-6 Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
Optional toppings: benishoga (Japanese pickled red ginger), furikake
Sauce ingredients:
1/2 cup vegan oyster sauce (I used Sprouts brand here)
1/3 cup Lakanto sugar or coconut sugar
4 tbsp sesame oil
2 stalks of green onion, chopped
2 inch ginger, grated
5 cloves of garlic, grated
INSTRUCTIONS:
Press firm tofu in a kitchen towel with a heavy weight on top to extract as much moisture as possible.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Crumble and drain tofu as much as possible into a large bowl.
Open the can of young jackfruit, then use your hands to remove the seeds and shred the jackfruit meat and squeeze as much water out of the remnants as possible.
In the same large bowl with your crumbled tofu, mix the shredded jackfruit, mayonnaise, eggs, carrots, mushrooms, green onions, and bamboo shoots together in a large bowl until well incorporated.
Spray oil on an 9x13 baking pan and spread the tofu mixture evenly. Bake for 40 minutes.
To make the oyster sauce, add oil to a small pot on low to medium heat then add the garlic, green onions, and ginger and cook until it’s fragrant.
Next, add your oyster sauce and sugar. Constantly stir the sauce until it boils then remove from heat. Take the tofu bake from the oven after the 40 minute cook time and spread the oyster sauce mixture on top and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Check the middle with a toothpick to see if it's cooked then remove from oven and allow to cool. Top with benishoga and furikake is desired.