Tofu triangles are lightly fried in oil until golden brown. This gives a little crisp outer crust to the fluffy inner tofu. The Thai inspired sauce is spectacularly simple and bold; lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, a little heat, a little sweet and a little umami courtesy of fish sauce.
03Whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, lime juice and zest, fish sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
04Pour the oil into a 12-inch non-stick skillet (or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet) over medium heat. Carefully and quickly arrange the tofu triangles in the hot oil. The combination of oil and tofu has a tendency to spit, so you need to be cautious. Work quickly, but don’t throw the tofu or it will fall apart despite your best efforts. Fry the tofu, without moving it, for 4-5 minutes, or until it is golden brown on the underside. Use tongs or a spatula to flip all the tofu triangles.
05Turn the heat under the pan to high. Whisk the sauce one more time and pour over the hot tofu and pan. The sauce should bubble up and boil almost immediately. Gently toss the tofu to coat well. Continue cooking and tossing until the sauce is syrupy. This will take from 2-4 minutes.
06Serve tofu triangles immediately in the syrup. Garnish with chopped cilantro if you like. I prefer this over sweet brown rice, but it is also good over Calrose or sushi-type rice. I like it accompanied by stir-fried green vegetables of some sort, but use whatever you enjoy most.