Oven-Baked Tofu and Pea Patties with a Crispy Rice Cake Coating
Be honest: How many of us reach for rice cakes the minute we start a diet?
I'm guessing quite a few.
There's a reason for that. Puffed rice contains plenty of air, so you're eating a relatively small amount of actual food—and fewer calories along with it.
But there's more to rice cakes than a (thin!) layer of hummus and some vegetables for a quick dinner. You can cook with them, too. Case in point: these tofu and pea patties with a crispy rice cake coating.
If the glycemic index of rice cakes is on your mind, there are other grain options to explore. Patit (an Israeli crispbread and puffed-grain cake brand)—remember when we all used to eat their crispbread?—has a selection of whole-grain cakes, including:
Corn cakes with quinoa and basil, corn cakes with chia and oregano, buckwheat cakes with chia, and corn cakes made with whole corn.
Disclosure: Patit also partnered with me on this recipe.
Honestly—and I'm not just saying this because they paid me—their grain cakes are tasty, nutritious, and useful for anything from a light meal to a main dish.
Sure, you could snack on them straight out of the package. But coating tender tofu patties with them and popping them in the oven? Much more fun.
It's also an option for anyone looking for a gluten-free dish—just make sure both the grain cakes and soy sauce are gluten-free—and a nice way to keep calories in check.
What's not to like?
The patties come out lightly crisp on the outside and soft inside, with bold Asian-inspired flavors.
Unfortunately, they don't taste great after freezing: the coating absorbs moisture and loses its texture. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days, though. A quick warm-up in the toaster oven brings them back to life.
A Few Recipe Tips
I used firm tofu – the kind you'd use in a stir-fry, not silken tofu.
Frozen green peas add flavor and bulk. You can substitute the same amount of green beans, shelled soybeans, or even grated zucchini.
I went with Asian-inspired seasonings because I think they work beautifully here. Want to take these in another direction? Try cumin, garlic, chili, parsley, and olive oil instead. That'll be delicious, too.
Nutrition Information from Clinical Nutritionist and Fitness Coach Noam Behar (an Israeli nutrition and fitness professional):
One 50 g (1.8 oz) patty, from a batch of 10, contains:
70 calories
6 grams protein
7 grams carbohydrates
5 grams fat
Looking for another tofu patty recipe? Click here.
Tofu Patties with a Crispy Grain Cake Coating
Ingredients
For the Patties
- 1 package Patit thin corn cakes with whole corn 5 thin cakes total
- 300 g (10.6 oz) firm tofu
- 1 cup frozen green peas thawed
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the Coating
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or another vegetable oil with no strong flavor
- 1 package Patit corn cakes with quinoa and basil 5 thin cakes total
Instructions
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Process the tofu in a food processor until it forms a smooth paste.
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If your food processor is struggling, add a little water to help it along.
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Using your hands, crumble one package of corn cakes into a deep bowl. The crumbs don't have to be perfectly even, but break up any large pieces.
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Combine the tofu paste with the remaining patty ingredients in a mixing bowl: peas, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, and cilantro.
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Add half of the corn cake crumbs and mix thoroughly until evenly combined.
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Add the remaining half of the crumbs and mix well.
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Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
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In another bowl, use your hands to crumble the second package of corn cakes for the coating.
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With wet or lightly oiled hands, shape the tofu mixture into ping-pong-ball-size balls and roll them in the crumbs to coat.
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Lightly coat each tofu ball with oil, making sure to cover the entire surface.
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Bake for about 15–20 minutes, until the patties are browned.
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Dig in while they're hot!
