Vietnamese-inspired Baked Tofu in Tomato Sauce Recipe (with Video)

1. Start with draining and pressing your tofu with a heavy object for at least 20 minutes. Layer a paper towel or lint-free towel between the tofu and the board to absorb the liquid. To save time, you can begin this process a couple hours in advance.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. After the tofu has been dried out (there shouldn’t be any liquid dripping), we can cut the tofu. Start by cutting through the center of the tofu lengthwise creating two blocks. Grab one block and cut it in half crosswise, repeat with the other block. There should be 4 blocks in total. We are now going to create 3 triangles using one of the blocks. You can do this by cutting the block diagonally using the bottom right corner as a starting point. Repeat this step by cutting the block diagonally from the bottom left corner.
3. In a large bowl, combine the tofu, sesame oil, tapioca starch, soy sauce, black pepper, and garlic salt. Mix well until the tofu is evenly coated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the tofu. There should be about 1 inch space in between each tofu. Bake the tofu for 30 minutes and flip at the halfway point.
4. Meanwhile, mince the garlic, dice the shallots, and cut the tomatoes into wedges.
5. In a skillet, bring up 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to medium heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and ginger for 2 minutes. Add the tomato wedges and stir for a couple minutes. Once the tomatoes have had a chance to heat up, add the black pepper, sugar, tomato paste, soy sauce and mushroom seasoning mixture. Close the lid and allow it to simmer for about 4-5 minutes before adding in the baked tofu and mix well.
6. Top with green onions, serve with steamed rice, and enjoy!