Black Sesame Coated Tofu with Broccoli and Glazed Ramen Noodles

Serves 3-4

Take 40 minutes

This is an elegant yet hearty, sophisticated yet easy dish, packed full of flavour. The crisp sesame coating on the tofu, with its light fluffy centre, works incredibly well with the fresh crunchy green broccoli and the comforting citrussy glazed noodles. The dressing alone is great to dress noodles. We use Tofoo’s smoked tofu which is widely available in the UK. The order of the cooking depends on what type of noodles you are using. We've based the timings on 4 minute ramen noodles, but some take much longer.

Tofu Marinade

1 egg, beaten (optional)

1 tbspn dark soy sauce

1 tsp truffle oil

200g silken tofu (we prefer smoked - see above)

2 tbsp black sesame seeds

2 tbsp white sesame seeds

Dressing

2 tbsp fresh orange juice

1 tbsp yuzu (or lemon juice, if not available)

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil


1 small head of broccoli cut into bite sized florets. Also, cut away the thin, woody outer layer of the main stalk, and slice the remaining inside part into discs, they will have an amazing flavour too

150g shitake mushrooms, torn up into small pieces

150g good quality Ramen noodles

Ground nut oil for frying

To serve

1 dspn finely chopped coriander leaves

2 spring onion whites, very finely sliced


  • Mix the beaten egg with 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce and the truffle oil. Drain the tofu and slice into 2.5cm cubes . Gently pat the tofu cubes dry. Be careful with the tofu, it can break and crumble easily! Carefully dip the tofu cubes in the egg/soy mix and marinade for 30 minutes

  • To make the dressing, put the yuzu, soy, sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of orange juice in a small pan. Warm through to blood temperature, then take off the heat and add the last tablespoon of orange juice. Set aside.

  • Sprinkle 2/3 of the sesame seeds evenly on a dinner plate, then place the tofu cubes on top. Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds over the tofu so it’s fairly evenly coated. Set aside

  • Boil a full kettle

  • Heat a splash of ground nut oil in a decent sized frying pan and heat over a high heat till it’s just starting to smoke. Add the broccoli florets and fry for 1-2 minutes. Ideally, you want some bits of charred broccoli, as it tastes lovely. Then add the mushrooms. Cook for a minute. Turn the heat down halfway, add 3 tablespoons of water, clamp the lid on, and cook for 2 more minutes. Tip out into a bowl and set aside. Wipe the pan out with kitchen paper, and get it heating again with a splash of ground nut oil

  • Get a saucepan of salted water boiling (hence the kettle) and add the noodles. Put the lid on and set your timer for 4 minutes

  • Very carefully start to add the tofu cubes to the frying pan, turning it down to a medium heat, and fry the cubes for two minutes. Turn over in the same order you put them into the pan and fry gently for another two minutes. Set aside.

  • When the noodles are done, turn the heat off, drain the noodles, rinse briefly in cold water, then put back into the pan

  • Put a puddle of the dressing onto each of two dinner plates, followed by a pile of noodles. Then add florets of broccoli and mushrooms around the outside. Pile the tofu on top of the noodles, and sprinkle with the chopped coriander and the spring onions, finally drizzle over a little more the dressing. Serve immediately