Fried Tofu on Curried Rice with Sesame Sauce

Today I fried some tofu, placed it on to a bed of curried brown rice and poured a sesame pan sauce over the whole thing.

Fried Tofu
1.   Marinate Tofu: You will want to use extra firm tofu for this (I also use organic and sprouted). Open tofu package slightly and drain out extra liquid. Then open the package all the way and cut the tofu to desired size (I cut it in 1/2 inch squares).  You can do this while the tofu is still in the package. Save the tofu package!  Spread out a clean towel (or paper towel if you must) on the counter and carefully place the pieces of tofu on half of the towel. Fold the towel over and press firmly, but gently, to squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the tofu. Then place one layer of tofu pieces back in the package and drizzle marinade (I usually use only tamari, but you can use whatever marinade or rub that sounds good) over the top of them. Do the same with the rest of the tofu pieces. Then cover and let sit in the fridge for an hour to overnight.
2.   Fry Tofu: Heat oil (I use ghee) in frying pan. Place one piece of tofu in pan. When the piece of tofu in the pan starts sizzling good, add as many of the rest of the pieces of tofu as will fit in the pan comfortably. Fry both sides until golden brown. Do not throw away oil!

Sesame Pan Sauce
1.    Make pan sauce from drippings: Whisk up drippings in pan (add more oil if necessary) add in smashed garlic clove, sauté until brown and remove. Place raw sesame seeds in oil and toast until light brown. Turn off heat and thicken with a few teaspoons of cornstarch and zest in some ginger and lime. *Or keep heat on and thicken with any number of flours, etc. Make sure to keep stirring and add more water as necessary.

Curried Brown Rice
1.   Cook Rice: I prefer to almost always use basmati rice, white or brown, for almost everything. I also toast my rice first in ghee along with onions, garlic, peppers, etc. If using brown rice make sure to plan on it taking an hour to cook. White rice will cook faster. Follow the instructions on the package. Add a few tablespoons of garam masala and stir in after water boils. Add Curry (I make my own usually) after the rice is cooked.