Description
This Moroccan Apricot Tofu recipe combines sweet fresh apricots, chickpeas, and warming spices in a rich, flavorful sauce served with brown rice. A healthy, plant-based meal that’s easy to make and packed with protein.
Ingredients
Scale
Brown Rice:
- 1 ½ cups brown rice, uncooked
- 3 cups water
Crispy Pan Fried Tofu:
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 (16-ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained, cubed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Apricot Moroccan Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup tomato sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 4 teaspoons ras el hanout* (Moroccan seasoning)
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 dash hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 ½ cups sliced fresh apricots, with peels* (may also use frozen, canned or dried—see below)
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
Instructions
- Cook brown rice, according to package directions by placing rice and water in a medium pot, bringing to simmer, reducing heat to medium, and covering pot. Cook until tender (about 40 minutes). Drain any remaining water and set aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare crispy tofu by mixing together flour and seasoning salt in a shallow bowl. Dredge the tofu cubes into the flour mixture to cover all sides. Reserve any remaining flour in the bowl for step 5.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu to skillet (reserve any leftover flour from dredging tofu) and brown each side, turning as needed with tongs or spatula, until all sides are golden brown (about 15 minutes total). Remove browned tofu from pan and set aside, reserving any leftover oil and crumbs in pan.
- Prepare Moroccan apricot sauce by adding 1 teaspoon olive oil to the skillet or sauté pan (with any remaining oil from cooking tofu) and heating over medium heat. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar (optional), chili powder, ras el hanout, garlic powder, and hot sauce and heat over medium for 3 minutes.
- Place vanilla and orange juice into the small bowl with remaining flour mixture from dredging the tofu. Whisk together until smooth. Add to the sauce mixture in the skillet or pan, and mix well while cooking over medium heat.
- Add sliced apricots and chickpeas, and mix together well. Cover and let simmer over medium for 8-10 minutes, until apricots are tender and mixture is thickened.
- Remove from heat, top with chopped parsley or cilantro, and serve over cooked brown rice.
- Makes 6 servings (about 1 cup Moroccan Apricot Tofu with ½ cup cooked brown rice per serving).
Notes
*Ras el hanout is a traditional Moroccan seasoning made from coriander, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, red pepper, turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and allspice.
**If you don’t have fresh apricots, use frozen and thawed, or canned and drained apricots (reduce cooking time with canned apricots). You can also use ¾ cup dried apricots which have been soaked overnight in water and drained.
To make this recipe gluten-free, use cornstarch instead of flour.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 444
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 161 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 22 g
What an amazing tofu recipe! I saw apricots at the store, and was looking for a new way to use them in a savory dish. I love your recipes. Keep up the good work!