This Senegalese-inspired tofu dish uses Senegalese green seasoning (nocos) to season the tofu and make it lip-smackingly delicious.
Many people say they don’t like tofu, and they don’t think it tastes good. This recipe will (hopefully) prove them wrong.Tofu is a blank canvas on which you can express a variety of flavors. That’s why tofu should be embraced rather than shunned. One way he does this is with Nokoss. This green seasoning uses fresh herbs, lots of garlic, onions, and seasonings to transform tofu from bland to flavorful. Perfect as an ingredient and works perfectly in salads and sandwiches.
What is Nokos
Nokoss is a Senegalese green condiment (Nokoss in Senegal and Roff in Gambia). I first came across the recipe while researching his Thieboudiene (Senegalese jollof), a fish-based jollof his rice.A typical taibudenny recipe involves stuffing the fish with nokos, a green seasoning that includes parsley, onions, garlic, pepper and seasonings. personal preferenceThe fish filling is fried before making the jollof and cooked with the jollof. Overall, nokoss is a basic part of thieboudienne. Brings depth of flavor, freshness and heat to your dishes. Besides tiboudienne, nocos can be used to season meat and fish, making it a great all-purpose seasoning. It’s such a great seasoning that I use it to marinate my tofu.
What you need for nokosu tofu
Nokos
- green bell pepper
- green onion
- onion
- garlic
- Parsley: Curly parsley or Italian parsley work well.
- Pepper: I use chillis, but habanero and scotch bonnet work well.
- Firm tofu
seasoning
- Dawa Dawa: Also known as fermented locust beans.This adds a really deep umami flavor
- All-Purpose Seasoning: All-Purpose Seasoning Works
- “Umami Salt”: Monosodium Glutamate Brings All Tastes Together
- Nori Powder: Another Source of Umami
- Mustard: acidity cuts through all the umami
- Lemon Juice: Acidity balances all flavors.
How to make this recipe
- Nokosu base blend
- add seasonings to the marinade
- Marinate the tofu for 30 minutes or longer
- Brown both sides in a frying pan
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes to complete
- serve
Frequently Asked Questions + Substitutions
- Can I use other vegetable proteins? Use tempeh. I’m not sure how this translates to another plant-based protein source.
- Why do you add umami salt? glutamic acid It is a natural umami compound found in tomatoes, cheese and many other foods. Unfortunately, the synthetic version of monosodium glutamate, which is found in virtually every store-bought salty snack, has received bad publicity associated with Chinese restaurant syndrome and anti-Asian hatred.MSG is sold in many stores in Asia. If you don’t have access to MSG, sea salt will also work.
- Is there an alternative to Dawa Dawa? Dawa Dawa is literally the most unique thing I have ever smelled. Very difficult to substitute. However, this recipe is highly customizable, so feel free to remove it and season the dish to your liking.
- Can I bake instead of fry? Yes, I can. 25-30 minutes at 450°F, flipping halfway through
- Can you make it in a fryer? Yes, I can. I flipped these halfway through at 370°F for 15-20 minutes.Spray liberally with oil.
Check out my other African style tofu recipes.
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tofu
This Senegalese-inspired tofu dish uses Senegalese green seasoning (nocos) to season the tofu and make it lip-smackingly delicious.
Serving: 6 people
Nokos Base
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- 1 green bell pepper
- Five green onion sprig
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 medium sized onion
- 2 Chile
- 1 tablespoon of oil to blend
nokosu seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
- 1/2 teaspoon Dawa Dawa powder Fermented Locus Bean Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Nori powder Mix 1-2 sheets of kelp with 1/2 sheet of seaweed and make a powder.
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of mustard
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning
- salty
Tofu
- 1 Firm tofu block Not too dense, not too soft, can be cut into any shape
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In a food processor, blend all nokoss base ingredients until a paste forms
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Take 1/2 cup of nocos base and mix with spices, lemon juice. Freeze remaining nocos base for later use.
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Spread the seasoned nokosu evenly over the tofu.
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Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 425°F
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Cook the tofu in a frying pan over medium heat until browned on both sides (about 5-7 minutes on each side).
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Bake the tofu in the oven for 15 minutes and it’s done.
