Coconut lime tofu combines oven-baked cubes with a warm coconut sauce and a separately cooked pot of jasmine rice. The tofu is coated with oil, soy sauce, and cornstarch before baking. Shallot, ginger, and garlic then flavor the sauce in a skillet.
This coconut lime tofu recipe restores the separate tablespoon of sauce oil that the earlier steps used but the ingredients omitted. It also distinguishes the tablespoon of soy sauce on the tofu from the additional tablespoon in the coconut milk. There is no need to divide one spoonful unpredictably between both stages.
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Why This Recipe Works
Baking the cubes on a spread-out tray gives them time to firm before they meet the sauce. Coconut lime tofu will soften once coated in coconut milk, so the recipe does not promise a lasting dry crunch after simmering. The contrast is between firm cubes and a creamy sauce.
Adding lime near the end makes its brightness easier to adjust. The coconut milk, maple syrup, and paprika create the sauce base, while the aromatics cook briefly first. Rice can cook alongside the tofu, so the schedule does not require finishing one component before starting another.
Ingredients for Coconut Lime Tofu
Use 375 grams extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry. Cut into roughly three-quarter-inch cubes so they cook at a similar rate. Coconut lime tofu is not formulated for soft or silken tofu, which can break during coating and turning.
Measure one and a half cups jasmine rice dry and follow the packet’s water and resting directions. The cooking water is listed as needed for that packet, not as a guessed universal ratio. Use one thirteen-and-a-half-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk, not sweetened cream of coconut. Mince a thumb-sized piece of ginger, about one tablespoon prepared, and juice two limes separately so you can check their varying sharpness.
For the rice
- 1.5 cups jasmine rice (dry) (dry measure; cook with package-directed water)
- as needed water (for rice, following its package)
Tofu coating
- 375 grams extra firm tofu (1 block, cubed) (drained, dried, and cut into ¾-inch cubes)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (for tofu coating only)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (for tofu coating, separate from sauce spoonful)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Coconut lime sauce
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (additional oil for aromatics)
- 1 each shallot (diced)
- 1 thumb ginger (minced) (about 1 tablespoon after mincing)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 13.5 oz full fat coconut milk (1 can)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 each limes (juiced) (juice gradually to taste after removing sauce from heat)
- 1 handful cilantro (chopped)
How to Make Coconut Lime Tofu
Heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed tray with an oven-rated liner. Start the rice according to its packet. Toss tofu gently with its tablespoon of oil, tablespoon soy sauce, and cornstarch, then spread cubes apart and bake about twenty to twenty-five minutes, turning midway if convenient.
As the tofu bakes, heat the separate tablespoon oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Stir shallot, ginger, and garlic for one to two minutes until fragrant without burning. Pour in coconut milk, the sauce tablespoon soy sauce, maple syrup, and paprika. Simmer gently for three to five minutes until hot and blended.
Add the baked cubes and fold carefully. Remove the pan from the heat before stirring in lime juice, starting with some and adding the rest to taste. Coconut lime tofu should have a tangy sauce rather than a sharp burst of unmeasured extra citrus.
Let rice finish its packet rest, then share it among four bowls. Spoon coconut lime tofu and sauce on top and finish with chopped cilantro. The twenty-five-minute cooking allowance assumes components overlap; a rice brand with a longer schedule adds time. Any tofu pressing beyond quick draining is also additional.
How to Serve
Serve coconut lime tofu promptly after coating, with its jasmine rice already included in the four-portion yield. A simple vegetable side can be prepared separately. Keep some sauce available for the rice instead of adding all of it to the tofu at once. Cilantro goes on at serving, and anyone who prefers less can leave it off their portion.
Storage
Refrigerate coconut lime tofu and rice promptly in shallow containers. Cool rice quickly, ideally within one hour, refrigerate, and use the rice within twenty-four hours. Reheat rice only once until steaming hot throughout; do not repeatedly warm the whole batch. Tofu sauce kept separately can be used within three to four refrigerated days, but storing the meal together means following the shorter rice guidance.
The separate tofu and sauce ingredient groups were checked against Carleigh Bodrug at PlantYou. Follow UK government guidance on quickly cooling rice and reheating it only once.
Tips and Variations
Dry the tofu surface before coating, and let the oven finish heating before loading the tray. Coconut lime tofu needs a full-fat coconut milk product for the stated creamy consistency; a thin carton drink behaves differently.
Soy sauce and miso-style condiments are not interchangeable here. Check soy and wheat labeling if relevant, and do not call the recipe gluten-free without verifying the products. Removing the tofu from a hot sauce after a long hold cannot restore its original dry surface, so combine it near serving time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much oil is used in total?
Coconut lime tofu uses two tablespoons: one for baking the cubes and one for sautéing the aromatics.
Are there two soy sauce measures?
Yes. One tablespoon coats tofu and a separate tablespoon seasons the coconut sauce.
Is rice measured dry?
The one and a half cups is dry jasmine rice; cook with packet-directed water before serving.
Can I use silken tofu?
It is not a direct replacement for extra-firm cubes in this baking method.
How long can the assembled meal be refrigerated?
Follow the shorter rice guidance for coconut lime tofu stored with rice: cool promptly, use within twenty-four hours, and reheat once.
More Recipes to Try
- Coconut Lime Chicken Thighs with Ginger and Garlic Sauce
- Air Fryer Roasted Garlic Broccoli
- One Pot Broccoli Pasta with Garlic and Parmesan
- Greek Chickpea Salad
Coconut Lime Tofu
Ingredients
For the rice
- 1.5 cups jasmine rice (dry) dry measure; cook with package-directed water
- as needed water for rice, following its package
Tofu coating
- 375 grams extra firm tofu (1 block, cubed) drained, dried, and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp avocado oil for tofu coating only
- 1 tbsp soy sauce for tofu coating, separate from sauce spoonful
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Coconut lime sauce
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil additional oil for aromatics
- 1 each shallot (diced)
- 1 thumb ginger (minced) about 1 tablespoon after mincing
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 13.5 oz full fat coconut milk (1 can)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 each limes (juiced) juice gradually to taste after removing sauce from heat
- 1 handful cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- Cook dry jasmine rice with packet-directed water. Heat oven to 400°F and arrange a lined rimmed tray.
- Coat dried tofu cubes with 1 tablespoon oil,1 tablespoon soy sauce, and cornstarch. Spread apart and bake 20–25 minutes.
- Warm another 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and stir shallot, ginger, and garlic 1–2 minutes. Add coconut milk, the second soy sauce measure, syrup, and paprika; simmer 3–5 minutes.
- Fold baked tofu into sauce, remove heat, and add lime gradually to taste. Serve four bowls with cooked rice and cilantro.
