The other day I got a craving for that drooly-delicious pan-fried tofu that I made a couple months ago and I knew I had to make more. But, instead of making the exact same dish, I decided to come up with a new flavor combo for my bowl. I decided to go with a tropical theme by combining my favorite savory coconut rice with mangoes, avocados, and a honey lime glaze for the tofu. The resulting Mango Coconut Tofu Bowls are truly epic. EPIC.
Don’t Break the Bank with Mango Coconut Tofu Bowls
There are probably three ingredients that can make or break your budget with this recipe, so watch these closely: avocados, mangoes, and coconut milk. I happened to be at Winn Dixie this week (not my usual store) and saw that they had cans of coconut milk for only $1.50 each. That’s a good $0.75 less than my normal store, so I grabbed one (still more than Trader Joe’s, but the New Orleans TJ has not opened yet).
Avocados have been priced great lately (about $1 each), but I kind of got hit on the mangoes at $1.69 each. Two out of three isn’t bad, though, and the total price for the bowl is still relatively low thanks to the inexpensive rice and tofu.
Can I Use a Different Fruit?
If you’re not into mango or can’t get them in your area, pineapple makes a great substitution in this dish.
How Do you Make Tofu Crispy?
I love using this simple cornstarch pan fry technique to make my tofu crispy. It’s so incredibly easy. Just press the tofu to remove excess moisture, coat the tofu in a light dusting of cornstarch, then do a shallow pan fry in a little oil. The tofu turns out wonderfully crispy without having to deep fry.
Mango Coconut Tofu Bowls
Servings 4Ingredients
SAVORY COCONUT RICE
- 1.5 cups uncooked jasmine or basmati rice ($0.66)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 3/4 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1 13.5oz. can coconut milk ($1.50)
- 1 cup water ($0.00)
HONEY LIME GLAZE
- 1 lime ($0.25)
- 1/4 cup honey ($0.48)
- 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.03)
- 1 tsp corn starch ($0.04)
PAN FRIED TOFU
- 1 14oz. package firm or extra firm tofu ($1.99)
- 1 pinch salt ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp corn starch ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil for frying ($0.04)
BOWL TOPPINGS
- 1 mango ($1.69)
- 1 avocado, sliced ($1.00)
- 2-3 green onions, sliced ($0.20)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro ($0.10)
Instructions
- Begin by pressing the tofu. Remove the tofu from the package, draining away all moisture. Wrap the tofu in a clean, lint-free dish towel or a few layers of paper towel. Place the wrapped tofu between two plates and place something heavy on top (cast iron pan or pot full of water). Let the tofu press for at least 30 minutes.
- To make the Savory Coconut Rice, combine the uncooked rice, minced garlic, salt, coconut milk, and water in a medium pot. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the pot sit, undisturbed, for 10 more minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and set aside.
- While the rice is cooking, prepare the honey lime glaze. Use a zester, microplane, or small-holed cheese grater to remove the thin layer of green zest from the lime. Squeeze the juice from the lime into a separate bowl (you’ll need about 1/4 cup juice). Combine the juice with 1/2 tsp of the zest, honey, soy sauce, and corn starch in a bowl. Stir until the corn starch and honey are dissolved.
- After the tofu has been pressed, cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Blot with a paper towel if needed to make sure the surface is dry. Season the tofu with a pinch of salt. Sprinkle the corn starch over top and gently toss until all the pieces are well coated.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the tofu and fry on until golden brown on each side (about 3 minutes each side). Remove the fried tofu from the pan and turn the heat down to low. While the tofu fries, cut the mango into cubes.
- Give the prepared glaze a quick stir, then add it to the skillet. Allow the glaze to begin to simmer, at which point it will thicken. Once thickened, turn the heat off and add the fried tofu and cubed mango. Toss to coat in the glaze.
- To build the bowls, place about one cup of the savory coconut rice in the bottom of each bowl, then top with a scoop of the mango and tofu. Add sliced green onions, sliced avocado, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a few sprigs of cilantro on top of each bowl.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Mango Coconut Tofu Bowls – Step by Step Photos
Start with one 14oz. package of tofu, either firm or extra-firm. I decided I liked the slightly softer texture of firm as opposed to extra firm. Drain the water from the package.
Press the excess moisture out of the tofu for at least 30 minutes. Wrap the block of tofu in a clean, lint-free towel or a couple layers of paper towel. Place the wrapped tofu between two plates, then set something heavy on top (I used a cast iron skillet this time).
While the tofu is pressing, start the coconut rice. In a medium pot combine 1.5 cups of uncooked jasmine or basmati rice, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1 clove of garlic, minced. Add a 13.5oz. can of coconut milk (full fat or lite) and one cup of water. Stir briefly to combine.
Place a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit for an additional 10 minutes without disturbing. Finally, take the lid off and fluff with a fork. Replace the lid to keep the rice warm and set it aside.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the honey lime glaze. Use a microplane, zester, or small-holed cheese grater to remove the zest from the lime. Once the zest is removed, juice the lime into a separate bowl. You’ll need about 1/4 cup of juice. To help maximize the juice, roll and press the lime on the counter for a few seconds before cutting it open. That will help soften the lime and yield more juice.
Combine the 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/2 tsp of the zest, 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp corn starch in a bowl. Stir until the corn starch and honey are dissolved.
Cut the mango into cubes. For a detailed tutorial on how to do this, watch this video.
Once the tofu has been pressed, cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Pat the tofu dry with a paper towel, if needed. Season the tofu with a pinch of salt, then sprinkle with 2 Tbsp corn starch. Gently toss the cubes until they’re coated in corn starch.
Heat 2 Tbsp neutral oil (corn, peanut, vegetable, canola, etc.) in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu cubes and fry until golden brown on each side (about 3 minutes each side). Remove the fried tofu from the skillet and turn the heat down to low.
Give the prepared glaze a quick stir, then pour it into the empty skillet. Allow it to come to a simmer, at which point it will thicken into a shiny glaze. Once thickened, add the tofu back along with the cubed mango. Toss to coat in the glaze.
Now all the components are made and it’s time to build the bowls! Start with about one cup of the coconut rice, then add 1/4 of the tofu & mango mixture. Add a few slices of the avocado, a pinch of red pepper flakes, some sliced green onions, and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro. DONE! :D
And, you know, if you’re into it you can always add a splash of sriracha to your Mango Coconut Tofu Bowl. ;)
This is one of the most delicious recipes I have ever made!!
OMG it’s delicious! Even my grandma ate tofu! UN.BELIEVABLE! haha
Made this tonight, replacing the tofu with chicken thighs, and it was amazing. The coconut rice was really delicious and not something I ever would have thought to do on my own. I loved this recipe, thank you.
Long time listener, firs time caller….this recipe was outstanding. I’d never used corn starch with tofu, nor pressed it, but boy did that make a difference. Change your LIFE and make this recipe!
This was delicious! The only change I made was adding some arugula to the bowl. My meat loving boyfriend even asked me to make this again. Great recipe!
Hands down the best thing I’ve ever made! :p Being dirt poor, I’m used to slumming it – I can’t believe how decadent I felt while eating this. Everything in this combo goes so perfectly together: the coconut milk in the rice, the mango, the yummy honey-lime glaze, with my new favorite way to make tofu. Awesome! So glad I got double the mangos (on sale, 3 little ones for $1 x2) – now I can have it again next week. Also, tofu is A LOT cheaper at the Asian market. I get mine for almost half. ;)
Only thing is, turning those little cubes on all six sides while frying was sooo tedious. I think I’m gonna try to spray and bake them next time. Also, dunno why, but halfway through my first bowl, I was craving slivered almonds in the rice (I used brown) – think I’m gonna try that too. I didn’t do Sriracha in this one, but I did throw in some crushed red pepper for a little heat, and a little ginger. OMG Beth, you’re a genius! This was so good!
Oooh, almonds in the rice! I bet that would be good! And for turning the little cubes, I don’t bother doing it one by one. I just kind of flip a spatula full every so often until most of the six sides look browned. :)
OMG these bowls! The first time I made them, they were divine. However, I found myself hungry a couple of hours later. The second time around, I sauteed diced red peppers and added in a diced boiled egg. Even better, and sticks with me longer! I know you agree, Beth, that eggs make everything better :)
I made this last night – my first time making tofu for my little meat eaters. They loved it. Thanks!
Obsessed! This dish has now tied your Sweet and Spicy Chicken Bowls for my favorite Budget Bytes recipe of all time. WARNING: You will want to machine this rice, as in shovel it into your mouth with embarrassing ease/speed.
Substituted cooked cubed chicken for cooked tofu, and the glaze is *amazeballs* on chicken, too. Sautéed and added some shredded carrots, yellow onion, and green beans to give the dish some vegetables. It gave the dish bonus crunch!
I just made this and the flavors are great! I got a bit nervous with the amount of honey, but it really wasn’t too sweet at all. The coconut rice was so creamy and delicious, the perfect compliment.
I made this the other day and it turned out great! The glaze was delicious and I love the combination of mango and savory coconut rice. I used brown rice instead of white and made sure to add a little water and increase the cooking time so that the brown rice cooked all the way. Loved it!
Can’t get over how good this was! I gave up on tofu a couple years ago because I could just never get it right. I trust your recipes though so I gave it another chance and I’m so glad I did! Even my 4 year old and 2 year old loved it!
Thank you so much for this! My family mostly “tolerates” when I make tofu dinners. But they loved this one. My 18 year old son’s eyes popped open in surprise when he took his first bite. Then this weekend I used the honey-lime glaze at my mother’s house for sweet and sour meatballs and pineapple. She said it’s the best sweet and sour sauce she’s ever had.
A total winner.
This looks like a great recipe. If I were to substitute pineapple for the mango, how much pineapple would you suggest using? Thanks!
Probably one of those 15oz. cans of chunks, drained (get the kind canned in juice, not syrup), or 1.5-2 cups of fresh chunks.
I made this tonight and couldn’t be happier! The rice cooked so easily and beautifully and my MEGA picky 11 year old ate it without any fuss (that’s a big deal!).
I subbed tofu for Quorn chunks as that’s what I had on hand and I think it worked perfectly well.
Will definitely make this again.