This is such a comforting dish and I know it sounds strange but really inoffensive The reason I say that is there it isn’t too spicy or salty it just has really delicious familiar flavours like you get from your take away. Its been elevated into a special dish purely by the ingredients. I love cashew nuts and I find adding them to stir fry’s adds a luxurious feeling and creamy nutty taste along with some crunch. We also have asparagus in season right now and there is only a small window April – June where I can by them off a local farm fresh that morning. I find using seasonal produce makes the flavours so enhanced and concentrated. It also makes me that time of year exciting and special knowing it won’t be until next year I get them again. It also pushes me out of my comfort zone by trying to use them in different dishes while they are in abundance.

Ingredients

For the tofu

• 190g Block of tofu drained (I used smoked)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp kecap manis (can use another tbsp of soy sauce mixed with 1/4 tsp of honey or pinch of sugar)

For the sauce

• 100ml vegetable stock (I used 1/3 of a cube)
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tsp mirin, (can use shaoxing wine or a splash of vinegar)
• 1 tsp of cornflour mixed with a small splash of cold water

For the stir fry

• 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
• 20 asparagus, tips (see notes and tips at the bottom of recipe for a quick way to get the best parts of the asparagus)
• 60g cashew nuts unsalted
• 2 balls of frozen spinach thawed, (if fresh just use a small bag).
• Oil for frying (I use ghee)

Directions

For the tofu

1. Cut the tofu into cubes. In a bowl add the soy sauce and kecap manis. Add the tofu and give it a mix (lightly so it the tofu doesn’t break) until each piece is coated. Cover and pop in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Leave it as long as you can as tofu really soaks up flavour beautifully. I try to do mine the night before or in the morning.

Prep Stir fry ingredients

1. If you are using unroasted cashew nuts, pop them in the air fryer or fan oven at 190 degrees for 2 minutes shaking half way through. Set aside.
2. If using thawed frozen spinach, squeeze out all of the excess water, roughly chop and set aside.
3. I cook my tofu in the air fryer also at 190 degrees for 12 minutes, shaking half way through. If you don’t have an air fryer you can either use the oven at the same temp. Or fry in a tbsp of oil and drain on kitchen paper.
4. For the sauce, add all of the ingredients except the corn flour slurry into a jug and give it a good mix to combine.

To cook

• Melt the green in a wok of frying pan over a high heat until it starts to smoke.
• Add the ginger and garlic paste along with the asparagus. Stir fry for a couple of minutes keeping it moving so the garlic paste doesn’t burn. (I’m using medium cut asparagus so if they are thick maybe stir fry about 30 seconds more) you still want the crunch for texture.
• Add in the drained chopped spinach, stir fry for a minute.
• Pour in the sauce mixture and the cornflour slurry giving it a good stir.
• Off the heat add the cooked tofu and roasted cashew nuts. Give it a stir, the sauce should have thicker by now. Serve and enjoy 😊

*Notes and tips

The best way I was told by the asparagus farm owner to get the tips from the asparagus is to hold each end or the stalk and bent towards each downwards. The asparagus will naturally ‘snap’ leaving all the tender parts in the tip. You can keep the discarded stalks to make a soup for example.