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Sesame Noodles with Grilled Tofu

A noodle dish with grilled tofu, broccoli, and a sesame‑peanut dressing.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 12 ingredients
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Why it works: Sesame and peanut match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 349 recipes. Both carry 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine, which smells roasted, nutty. The science ↓

Sesame Noodles with Grilled Tofu

Time3 to 4 minutes on each side

Ingredients

Directions

Press the tofu

  1. Line a baking dish with plastic wrap.

  2. Cut tofu in half crosswise, then split each piece in half horizontally, holding the knife parallel to the work surface.

  3. Place tofu in the baking dish and cover with plastic wrap.

  4. Place a plate on top and weigh it down with several cans.

  5. Refrigerate 30 to 45 minutes to press out excess moisture.

  6. Remove tofu pieces from the baking dish and blot them dry with a paper towel; discard the liquid.

Marinate the tofu

  1. Prepare the sesame ginger marinade in a shallow glass bowl.

  2. Place tofu in the bowl with the marinade and turn to coat.

  3. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours or up to one day, turning occasionally.

Cook the noodles and broccoli

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

  2. When the water boils, add noodles, stirring to prevent sticking.

  3. Cook noodles until tender according to package directions.

  4. Drain the noodles, rinse under cold running water, and drain again.

  5. Transfer noodles to a bowl.

  6. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil.

  7. Add broccoli and cook for 2 minutes.

  8. Drain the broccoli, rinse under cold running water, and drain again.

  9. Add broccoli to the bowl with noodles.

Dress and serve

  1. In a food processor or blender, combine all dressing ingredients and process until smooth.

  2. Set the dressing aside.

  3. Preheat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare a hot charcoal fire.

  4. Remove tofu from the marinade.

  5. Grill tofu, basting occasionally with marinade, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

  6. Just before serving, toss the dressing with noodles and broccoli.

  7. Transfer the mixture to a serving platter.

  8. Arrange tofu on top and sprinkle the mixture with scallions.

  9. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

528Calories
22 gProtein
34 gFat
44 gCarbs

Counts 10 of 11 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 10 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Peanut1 oz (28g)161
Sesame1 tbsp (14g)120
Tofu100g firm76
Broccoli1 cup chopped (156g)55
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Wheatnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Sesame + peanuttop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together349 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).

  2. Tofu + sesametop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together250 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  3. Sesame + broccolitop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together372 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove, smoky).

  4. Sesame + gingertop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,531 recipes

    Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

  5. Wheat + peanuttop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together151 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Tofu
Pressing removes water so the tofu takes up marinade and browns rather than steaming.
Peanut butter
Provides creamy body and richness to the dressing, coating the noodles evenly.
Asian sesame oil
Adds fat and a toasted, nutty aroma to the dressing.
Tamari or soy sauce
Supplies salty, savoury depth that balances the sweetness and fat of the dressing.
Sugar
Adds sweetness to balance the salty soy and sharp chili paste.
Broccoli
Adds crisp-tender texture and fresh, slightly bitter contrast to the soft noodles.

The step that matters

Pressing the tofu. Excess water dilutes the marinade and keeps the tofu soft and spongy. Pressing and blotting dry let it absorb flavour and brown on the grill instead of steaming.

Swap the ginger

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, sesame, wheat, broccoli, peanut, butter, sauce):

  1. Garlicfits better
  2. Gingerthe original
  3. Turmericfits about as well
  4. Cuminfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, sesame, wheat, broccoli, peanut, butter, sauce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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