A few years ago, my extended family started a monthly gathering to cook the meals that we grew up on, the dishes that we don’t have as often because we no longer have the luxury of someone else to prepare them for us.
Each gathering was an all-day affair with reminiscences about growing up, side-splitting, tears-running-down-the-face laughter about who did what when, and plenty to eat and drink. The best part was you never knew which old favorite the hostess (the women usually did most of the cooking) would surprise us with.
One of my cousins is married to a vegan. When it was my turn to host, I scratched my head for weeks trying to think of something that I could make that’s different from his regular fare. Turning to my cookbooks, I found this recipe for Stir Fry Vegetables with Jerk* Tofu.
The cookbook, Jerk From Jamaica, is from Walkerswood, a local company that makes spices, sauces, preserves and canned vegetables. Walkerswood takes its name from the community in St. Ann where it has its operations. The company sources its produce from local farmers and from its own farms in St. Ann and St. Elizabeth, processes them at the factory in Walkerswood, and distributes them in North America, the UK, New Zealand and other countries. The recipes in the cookbook are all made in their kitchen using their products.
- 1 tbsp Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning or Marinade
- 2 tbsp Palm, sesame or soya oil
- 1 lb Firm tofu, or Quorn, cubed
- 1 Onion, sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
- Oil for frying
- 1kg/2lb (total of any combination)
- Vegetables - carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, green cabbage, pak choy, sweet peppers or broccoli
- 2 stalks scallion (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Mix together jerk seasoning and oil, add to tofu and marinate for at least an hour.
- Heat the frying oil in wok or suitable skillet.
- Deep fry the tofu cubes for 3-5 minutes and reserve.
- Pour out most of the oil and stir fry the onion and garlic, then begin to add the other vegetables, hardest first.
- Cook very lightly, add the tofu and stir in gently until hot. Serve immediately.
Stir Fry Vegetables with Jerk Tofu is a simple dish that goes over well with most people. It’s light and flavorful and pretty easy to make. Once you prepare the tofu and chop the vegetables, the most time-consuming part is frying the tofu. Since we have to fry it, I usually let the tofu drain overnight to remove as much of the water as possible.
The next morning, I cut it into cubes no more than a quarter of an inch thick and smear on the jerk seasoning. Use a light touch here as tofu breaks easily.
Jerk seasoning can be either wet or dry. If you have dry seasoning, mix it with oil, as the recipe suggests, so it will be easier to spread. Whether wet or dry, spread the seasoning evenly and turn the tofu over to coat the other side. Once that’s done, set aside the tofu to marinate for about four hours.
The recipe calls for carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, green cabbage, pak choy, sweet peppers or broccoli but don’t panic if you don’t have them. I use what I have, which is usually broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and red and yellow peppers. The most important thing, I think, is to have a mix of firm and soft, colorful vegetables to give the dish variety in texture and color.
Wash and chop the vegetables and scallion and set them aside. I prefer to cut the onion into wedges instead of slices.
Most of your work will be in frying the tofu. Once that is done, all you have to do is stir fry the vegetables. When I made this dish recently, cooking time was about 30 minutes.
Stir Fry Vegetables with Jerk Tofu is a great one-pot meal that’s a hit on any occasion. I’ve made it for Thanksgiving, Christmas and many gatherings. Hope you’ll give it a try.
What’s jerk?
Jerk is a way of cooking that originated in Jamaica. It involves rubbing meat (back then it was only pork) with a mixture of spices and cooking it over a pimento fire. The pimento wood adds a distinct smoky flavor. Jerk also refers to the spices that are used to marinate the meat.
These days, jerk sauce is bottled and sold widely and can be used to jerk fish, chicken, sausages, even vegetables.
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Looks delicious. Thank you for the recipe, Marcia.
This can only be good. Jerk tofu! What a gift to vegetarians who can add some zing to their list of yummy dishes.
Looks delicious – but I am not sure if I can buy \”Jerk\” seasoning – is there a substitute? As I don\’t know what \”Jerk\” is!thanks for inviting me to the link up party. have a great week.
This looks very nice! The colors make it a treat and I am sure it must taste great too! Being a vegetarian I think I would love to try it 🙂
It’s great when you can find a dish that pleases not only the vegans but the regular meat eaters. I imagine there’s a kick to the dish with the jerk seasonings so I’m betting I’d like it even though I’m not a big lover of tofu.
I should know better than to read your Foodie Tuesday posts before lunch – my can of tuna is just going to disappoint now! 😉
I couldn’t resist commenting. Perfectly written!
That certainly looks like heaven on a plate! Never thought tofu could look so tasty but you certainly changed my perception that’s for sure!! Keep all of this deliciousness coming my friend!
Another yummie looking recipe – those photos have my mouth-watering. My blog wouldn’t let me copy a direct link today but there is a bit of murder mystery on the menu today at TravelnWrite.
You’re welcome Jill, I thought about that after I posted the recipe. Jerk is a style of cooking that originated around the late 1950-60s. Traditionally, spices such as garlic, mace (the outer shell of the nutmeg), thyme, cinnamon, scallion and Scotch Bonnet pepper were mixed together and rubbed into pork that was then slow-cooked in a pit fire of pimento wood. The pimento gave it its signature flavor. I’ll send you a recipe for making jerk sauce.
Sorry, Lisa!
Thanks for your comment, Stephen, and thanks for visiting.
Thanks, Jeff! I don’t like tofu much but I like it in this recipe.
I had never heard of jerk tofu until and what an ingenious idea, Marcia! Oh my gosh the final entree pictures looks positively delicious. That is awesome on your get together tradition you guys started 🙂
Looks and sound delish! No lack of tofu in Korea. Would love the recipe for the jerk! 🙂
Jerk tofu is sure new to me! Great idea for vegetarians to get their jerk:-)
Thanks for sharing~
This sounds delicious! And I might even be able to get the hubby to eat tofu if it is disguised in jerk seasoning!
This looks so wonderful and healthy too! I will try it out this weekend and let you know how it went 😉
This is absolutely perfect recipe for my kids who are having a hard time eating vegetables. They surely wanna eat vegetables that is as tasty as a meat. Thanks for this recipe.
A colorful & healthy recipe for vegetarians like me.
Oh. My. God. I think I’ll make these and then proceed to eat them all one sitting!
Hope you get to try it, Manish!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Vegetarian and vegan stir fries from the traditional to the creative, including vegetable stir-fries, tofu and seitan stir-fry recipes, Chinese stir-fries, Thai-style stir fry recipes, and more! Stir-fries are quick, easy and fairly healthy, making them a popular “everyday” choice amongst busy vegetarians and vegans.