Skip to main content
Main

Tofu Satay with Ginger-Cashew Sauce

Marinated tofu, bell pepper, mushroom and tomato skewers grilled and served with a ginger-cashew dipping sauce.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 19 ingredients
Jump to recipe ↓

Why it works: Clove and ginger match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Tofu Satay with Ginger-Cashew Sauce

Time12 to 15 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the skewers

  1. Soak 6 long bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes or use 6 long metal skewers.

  2. Thread tofu, bell pepper, mushrooms and tomatoes alternately on skewers.

  3. Place in single layer in large glass baking dish.

  4. In small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic. Pour over skewers and let stand 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Make the Ginger-Cashew Sauce

  1. Meanwhile, make Ginger-Cashew Sauce: in food processor, place cashews and pulse on and off until ground; set aside.

  2. In medium saucepan, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add scallions, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, 30 seconds.

  3. Stir in ground cashews, soy sauce, coconut milk and hot sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 to 45 minutes, adding up to 1/3 cup water if mixture seems too thick.

  4. Remove from heat and set aside.

Grill and serve

  1. Prepare grill.

  2. Place marinated skewers on grill, reserving marinade. Cook until lightly browned, turning occasionally and basting with marinade, 12 to 15 minutes.

  3. Transfer to serving platter and garnish with cilantro if desired. Serve hot, with Ginger-Cashew Sauce for dipping.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

917Calories
25 gProtein
59 gFat
86 gCarbs

Counts 16 of 17 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 16 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Coconut1/2 cup shredded (40g)283
Cashew1 oz (28g / ~18 nuts)157
Sesame1 tbsp (14g)120
Cherry1 cup (138g)87
Tofu100g firm76
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Mushroom1/2 cup sliced (35g)15
Limejuice of 1 lime (44ml)11
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Cilantro1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)1
Saucenot 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. Clove + gingertop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together6,038 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  2. Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together17,451 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  3. Ginger + coconuttop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,168 recipes

    Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

  4. Garlic + gingertop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together6,402 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  5. Coconut + tofutop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together91 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).

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

What each ingredient does

Extra-firm tofu
Holds its shape on the skewers and absorbs the marinade, giving a firm, savory bite.
Cashews
Ground into the sauce, they add body and creaminess that thickens it as it simmers.
Soy sauce
Supplies salt and savory depth to both the marinade and the sauce.
Coconut milk
Adds richness and fat, mellowing the sharpness of the sauce.
Brown sugar
Adds sweetness and helps the skewers brown on the grill.
Portobello mushrooms
Release moisture and absorb marinade, becoming tender and meaty when grilled.

The step that matters

Simmering the Ginger-Cashew Sauce. Ground cashews thicken as they simmer and can scorch or stick on the bottom of the pan. Keeping the heat low and stirring often prevents burning, and adding water only as needed keeps the texture smooth rather than pasty.

Swap the garlic

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (clove, ginger, sauce, coconut, milk, pepper, tofu):

  1. Turmericfits better
  2. Cinnamonfits better
  3. Cardamomfits better
  4. Garlicthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against clove, ginger, sauce, coconut, milk, pepper, tofu. 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.

You might also like

Tomato SoupTomato Soup526 recipesCream of Tomato SoupCream of Tomato Soup107 recipesTomato BisqueTomato Bisque61 recipesMushroom SoupMushroom Soup60 recipes