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Tofu and mushroom poke

This vegan poke is inspired by the one at Foodland, a major Hawaiian supermarket chain known for its legendary poke counter. Foodland’s tofu poke, a simple, umami dish of pan-fried tofu tossed with seaweed and marinated in shoyu and sesame oil. It was savoury and refreshing and I ate it greedily from the container. This is my version, inspired by that tasty memory.

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A bowl of rice topped with tofu cubes, sliced mushrooms, green onions, and thin seaweed strips, with a spoon resting inside.

Eat this poke with a bowl of rice, top with avocado and edamame beans if you have them. Or use the mixture to make tacos – my daughter ordered ‘ahi poke tacos, served in a crispy corn shell, for her Christmas Day lunch and she loved them. Or why not serve it with a poached, jammy or fried egg for a simple breakfast?

Tofu and mushroom poke

Serves

Ingredients

handful arame or other seaweed (about 4g)
extra virgin olive oil
450 g extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
salt and black/white pepper
150 g mixed mushrooms such as fresh shiitake trumpet, oyster, beech or cremini/swiss browns, thickly sliced
1 shallot/eschalot, finely sliced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon shoyu, tamari, or soy sauce
2 scallions, finely sliced

Optional

white rice, to serve

Instructions

Soak the seaweed in room temperature water for 5 minutes. Drain and then roughly chop.
Heat a large skillet on medium high. Drizzle with olive oil and add the tofu cubes, season with salt and pepper and drizzle the tops of the tofu with a bit more oil. Cook the tofu until lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes, and then flip and cook the other sides until golden all over. Transfer the tofu to a large bowl.
To the same skillet on medium high heat, add another drizzle of oil and then the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing often, until golden, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to the same bowl as the tofu.
To the tofu and mushrooms, add the seaweed, shallot, sesame oil and shoyu, tamari or soy sauce. Toss to combine and them allow to sit for 10 minutes.
When ready to eat, top with scallions. This tofu poke can be eaten as is, or served with rice.