Incredibly flavorful tofu satay skewers are paired with a creamy, rich peanut sauce. This delicious dish is also vegan, healthy & utterly delicious !
Another childhood favorite of mine veganized ! This vegan tofu satay is hugely influenced by the Malaysian version of satay, which is superior to any other kinds in my opinion. 😉 They are best served with a rich vegan satay peanut sauce, and the recipe for it is also provided below !
Plus, this dish is actually pretty easy to make and only requires simple ingredients that are most probably already in your pantry.
Jump to:
🍢What is satay
Satay, or also sometimes known as sate in Malay, is a really popular street food in Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. To make satay, the meat ( can be chicken, pork, beef or even rabbit meat ! ) is first being marinated in seasonings and various herbs and spices such as lemongrass, garlic and onion. They are then skewered onto bamboo stick and are grilled over charcoal until nicely browned.
They are commonly served with a peanut dipping sauce and raw veggies like cucumber and onion.
To make this dish vegan, tofu are used as a substitute for meat. And it taste as good as, if not better than the non-vegan version !
🧄What you will need
📓Notes / Substitutions
- Make this gluten-free by using gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.
- Do make sure to use extra firm tofu that had been pressed beforehand, either using a tofu press or by stacking something heavy on top of it for 20 minutes. Check out this post on how to press tofu for a more detailed guide.
- Lemongrass can be substituted with 2 teaspoons of lemongrass paste. Alternatively, you can use the zest of 1 lemon instead.
- Coconut sugar can be substituted with equal amounts of other sweetener like maple syrup, white sugar or brown sugar.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in a sealed container for 3-4 days. It is highly recommended to store skewers and peanut sauce separately.
🔪How to make
Start by adding in garlic, shallots, lemongrass, coconut sugar and tamari into a food processor and pulse until a watery paste forms.
In a large plate, add in tofu cubes along with the paste and toss until tofu is well coated. Let it marinate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. You can even let it marinate overnight in the fridge.
In the meantime, make your vegan satay sauce by combining all ingredients needed. Mix well and thin it out with more coconut milk, if needed.
Skewer about 4 cubes of tofu on each satay sticks and you should get about 12 skewers.
Now, you can choose to grill them on grill or a grill pan on stove for 2-3 minutes on each sides, until all sides are nicely browned. Alternatively, bake them in the oven preheated to 200C / 400F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Plate them up and serve them together with peanut sauce and some chopped raw veggies, if you like. I also love pairing mine with Tom Yum fried rice or green curry fried rice to make this a more substantial meal.
❔Commonly asked questions
This vegan tofu satay is naturally gluten-free as all ingredients used does not contain wheat. However, do make sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce or substitute it with tamari as some soy sauce may contain wheat.
It is most commonly served with a side of satay sauce and raw veggies such as cucumber, tomato and red onions. However, to make a meal out of this tofu satay, you can pair it with fried rice such as this tom yum fried rice.
Other than that, these skewers also pairs beautifully with salads like brown rice salad or Thai quinoa salad. They will also go really well with this stir-fry vermicelli too !
Yes, this peanut satay sauce is actually freezable. Store leftovers in sealed containers or zip top bag and it can them be frozen for up to a month.
When ready to enjoy, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, or on countertop for a couple hours. Give it a good stir and add coconut milk or water to thin, if needed.
🍽More Asian Tofu Recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 14 oz block extra firm tofu pressed
For the marinade
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce / tamari
- ½ tablespoon coconut sugar **
- 2 stalk lemongrass *
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 shallots
For the peanut sauce
- 3 tablespoon natural peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar ( or other vinegar of choice )
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 tablespoon s coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder ( optional, exclude to omit heat )
Instructions
- If you have yet to do so, press tofu by using a tofu press, or stack something heavy on top on tofu block for at least 20 minutes. Cut it into 1 inch bite sized cubes.
- Start by adding in garlic, shallots, lemongrass, coconut sugar and tamari into a food processor and pulse until a watery paste forms.
- In a large plate, add in tofu cubes along with the paste and toss until tofu is well coated. Let it marinate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. You can even let it marinate overnight in the fridge.
- In the meantime, make your vegan satay sauce by combining all ingredients needed. Mix well and thin it out with more coconut milk, if needed.
- Skewer about 4 cubes of tofu on each satay sticks and you should get about 12 skewers.
- Now, you can choose to grill them on grill or a grill pan on stove for 2-3 minutes on each sides, until all sides are nicely browned. Alternatively, bake them in the oven preheated to 200C / 400F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Plate them up and serve them together with peanut sauce and some chopped raw veggies, if you like.
Join the discussion !