High Protein Tofu Fried Rice with Mushrooms- Flavor Quotient

If you are tired of having chicken and egg regularly for completing your daily protein intake, then I am here to give you a break! This plant-based high protein tofu fried rice with mushrooms will fit the bill perfectly!

When I think of healthy meals, more often than not, I incline towards high-protein meals! And being a meat-eater, chicken comes as my primary choice for the source of good protein!

That’s the very reason I have so many chicken recipes in my blog! Now it’s high time that I increase the count of meatless recipes which are high in protein too!

Hence comes my delicious tofu fried rice with mushrooms and veggies! I gave this plant-based recipe some serious thought while I was developing it.

You will know what I am talking about when you read the details below about my very tasty & healthy mushroom and tofu fried rice!

What is high protein tofu fried rice? How high protein is this baby?

Tofu is an excellent source of plant-based protein which is a well-known fact for everyone who does some amount of reading on healthy eating!

If you follow a meatless or vegan diet, tofu is a must-have ingredient. Even though we are a family of meat-eaters, both my partner & I are fond of tofu.

That’s simply because tofu has an outstanding property of soaking up flavors when made with flavorful ingredients!

Hence tofu easily became my choice of protein source when I started carving this plant-based high protein meal.

Besides making it high protein, I also wanted to make it a simple yet an all-rounder one pot meal with the right amount of carbs and fiber, but without too much of a hassle!

Hence enters fried rice which can not only accommodate everything in a single bowl, but also turns your leftover rice into something truly amazing! How cool is that!

This tofu fried rice is a very simple fried rice just like any other regular fried rice, but loaded with good flavors of aromatics, mushrooms & veggies and crispy bites of tofu!

Mushrooms got a little overshadowed here by tofu, but don’t skip these cute babies! They not only add more nutrition, but also add more depth of flavor and beautiful texture.

Coming to the protein profile of this tofu fried rice, this is a wonderful dish for your main meal that’s rich in protein since every 100 grams of uncooked tofu contains about 17 grams of protein.

I usually make such one pot high protein meals for my go-to office lunch as it’s easy to carry and reheats well before eating. It’s perfect for your kids’ school lunch as well!

Ingredients for high protein tofu fried rice

Tofu: There are different types of tofu available these days – silken tofu, firm tofu, extra-firm tofu and what not! For any dish that requires crispy tofu, you will need firm or extra-firm tofu.

In this tofu fried rice recipe, I have cut the firm block of tofu into small pieces.

Then I season the tofu cubes and lightly coat them with cornflour that will create a crispy outer coating, but not too thick a coating that would overpower the actual texture of this soymilk paneer.

Mushroom: My favorite type of mushroom of all time is button mushrooms. I like their spongy texture when shallow fried in a tiny bit of oil with grated garlic or garlic powder.

Mushrooms also contain a moderate amount of protein and also are powerhouse of other nutritional benefits!

Try including these two plant-based healthy ingredients in your meals on a regular basis and reap their benefits. I have an ample amount of tofu recipes and mushroom recipes that you can check out!

Rice: For perfectly fluffy tofu fried rice, you should ideally use leftover cooked rice that is stored in the refrigerator for at least a night.

Fridge cold rice has very less moisture and that dry rice is what you need to make that restaurant style fluffy fried rice.

Spring onion/Green onion/Scallion: No good fried rice can be made without this beautiful aromatic that has many names! We call it spring onion!

Add spring onion whites at the beginning to sauté and soften a bit. Add the finely chopped greens at the end to add a beautiful flavor to your tofu fried rice!

Veggies: Such stir fry rice recipes are ideal dishes to sneak in vegetables that you usually don’t like to eat on their own!

I added grated carrots and finely chopped green beans into my tofu fried rice. They were completely hidden and didn’t interfere with the star ingredient of my dish which was of course tofu!

Aromatics: A good fried rice demands a good amount of classic asian aromatics! Yes, you guessed it right!

A generous amount of finely chopped garlic and ginger is mandatory for infusing great flavors into your fried rice! Do not skip!

Soy sauce: To add that authentic Oriental style flavor to my tofu fried rice, I added a couple of splashes of light soy sauce.

I always prefer light soy sauce over dark soy as it doesn’t overpower the primary flavor of the dish but adds a subtle depth of flavor.

Cornflour: Just a light dusting of cornflour creates a nice & golden brown crispy outer coating around the tofu cubes. But do not add too much!

Oil & seasoning: Finally you will need oil to stir fry all your ingredients for tofu fried rice. Use a flavorless oil which has a high smoking point e.g. canola oil or sunflower oil.

But do not add too much oil! It is a misconception that stir frying needs a lot of oil! All you need is a large wok and good muscle power for stirring!

To perfectly season your fried rice, add salt to taste and freshly crushed black pepper. Also, do keep in mind that soy sauce is already salted; so add the extra salt sparingly.

How to make tofu fried rice?

Step 1: First clean the mushrooms by wiping each with a slightly damp kitchen towel to remove all the dirt. Then slice each into 2 to 3 pieces length-wise.

Step 2: Next, unpack the block of tofu and discard any liquid. Cut the tofu block into small bite-sized pieces.

Step 3: Take the tofu cubes in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle salt & pepper and shake the bowl gently to evenly spread out the seasoning.

Step 4: Now sprinkle the cornflour over the tofu cubes and give another gentle shake to lightly coat the cubes with the flour.

Step 5: Now heat your wok and add 2 tablespoons of oil in to. Swirl your wok to coat the surface with oil.

Step 6: Once the oil becomes very hot, reduce the heat to minimum. Then carefully drop the coated tofu cubes into the hot wok and spread them in a single layer.

Step 7: Let the tofu cubes cook for 2 to 3 minutes without any disturbance. Then flip them over one by one and let the other side cook for another couple of minutes.

Step 8: Take out the crispy fried tofu cubes and set aside in a bowl. Now add one more tablespoon of oil to the wok.

Step 9: Once hot, add the sliced mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms on medium heat until they become soft & golden brown on the edges.

Step 10: Take the sautéed mushrooms out in a bowl and set aside until needed.

Step 11: Now add the remaining oil to the wok. Once hot, reduce the heat to minimum and add the chopped garlic & ginger.

Step 12: Stir fry the aromatics on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Then throw in the finely chopped whites of the spring onions.

Step 13: Stir fry the onions for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Then add the finely chopped green beans. Allow them to cook on low for 5 minutes.

Step 14: Next add the grated carrots. Stir fry all the veggies for 2 to 3 more minutes on medium flame.

Step 15: Now it’s time to add the rice. Carefully spread the rice over the wok and leave it without disturbing for a couple of minutes keeping the flame low.

Pro tip: This will allow the rice to become warm. Then they will start crisping up resulting in fluffy fried rice instead of being sticky.

Step 16: After a few minutes, drizzle soy sauce and salt & pepper to taste. Now start mixing the rice using a stirring spatula.

Step 17: After giving a few stir, add in the sautéed mushrooms, crispy tofu cubes and spring onion greens to the wok. Give a good mix by stirring with your spatula.

Step 18: Check and adjust seasoning if needed. Your healthy & tasty tofu fried rice is ready! Serve it warm with a generous sprinkling of white sesame seeds and enjoy!

More delicious healthy recipes from Flavor Quotient