Vegan Fajita bowl with Birria Tofu

Fajitas are one of my favorite Mexican foods. Fajita is a popular Tex-Mex dish that is commonly available in most Mexican chain restaurants. Fajita bowls are an adaptation of the traditional Fajitas that are served in a bowl on a bed of rice (any kind) and a topping of strips of meats, veggies, salsa, beans or any other toppings you may like.  Fajitas are my preferred choice at any Mexican restaurant as I can customize the toppings for vegetarian/ vegan choices. I created this recipe with the flavorful Mexican Birria sauce and used Tofu as my main protein. Birria sauce or consomme involves multiple ingredients and I have created a vegan-friendly version of the Birria sauce recipe, which you can find here: https://www.mellowmasala.com/recipe/birria-tacos-recipe-vegetarian-quesabirria/ NOTE: If you don't want to take the trouble of preparing Birria sauce from scratch, you can easily customize this recipe. One option is to make crispy stir-fried Tofu and coating it with Mexican seasonings and/or any type of Mexican cooking sauces/bases that are available in grocery stores. Some recommendations would be Mole sauces, Guajillo Chile sauce, Pasilla Chile sauce, Chipotle sauce, Salsa Taquera, or Salsa Verde. You can also blend the store-bought "Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce" and black beans to create a homemade mole sauce.  The essence of this recipe is a well-balanced complete meal that is easy to prepare and served in a single bowl.   Please try this recipe and if you like it, please share it with your friends. I would appreciate it if you can leave your feedback with any suggestions and comments.  
Cooking Method , , ,
Cuisine , ,
Difficulty Intermediate
Time
Cook Time: 60 60 mins
Servings 5
Description

Traditional Tex-Mex Fajita bowl recipe adapted for vegetarians/vegans with Birria Tofu, grilled veggies, and cilantro lime rice

 

Ingredients
    Cilantro lime rice
  • 1 cup Extra long rice / Basmati rice
  • 2 cups Water (For cooking the rice)
  • 3 teaspoons Lime juice
  • 5 Garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup Cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon Oil
    • Pico de gallo
  • Onion - white / red (diced)
  • Tomatoes (Deseeded and diced)
  • Cilantro (chopped)
  • Salt
  • Serrano / Jalapeño peppers (Deseeded and minced)
  • Lime juice
    • Grilled veggies
  • 2 White onions (Long Slices cut vertically)
  • 2 Green bell peppers (Long Slices cut vertically)
  • 1 tablespoon Cooking oil
  • 1/2 Salt
    • For Birria Tofu
  • 28 ounces Extra firm Tofu (2 Packs)
  • 4 tablespoons Birria or other types of Mexican cooking sauce ( refer notes)
  • 1 tablespoon Cooking oil
    • Optional toppings
  • 1 cup Black beans
  • 1 cup Corn
  • 2 cups Lettuce (chopped)
  • 1 cup Grated Cheese - Monterey Jack Cheese / Mexican blend
Instructions
  1. Prepare the Birria Tofu
    • Remove the Tofu from the Pack and dry it with a towel by squeezing it. We want the Tofu to be as dry as possible.
    • Cut the Tofu into ½ inch cubes
    • Keep a non-stick frying pan on the stove at medium-high
    • Add the cooking oil and mix the Tofu cubes so as to coat all the cubes with oil uniformly
    • Keep stirring once every minute with the stove on medium-high
    • After about 15 minutes, The Tofu will start to change color and turn crispy on the outer layer. 
    • When the Tofu pieces have turned crispy and light brown in color, add the Birria sauce or any other type of Mexican cooking sauce
    • Stir well to coat all the Tofu pieces uniformly with the sauce
    • Remove from heat
  2. Prepare the pico de gallo
    • Take a separate mixing bowl and add all the ingredients listed in the Pico de gallo ingredients section
    • Mix well. Taste. Adjust the salt and lime juice.
  3. Cooking the rice
    • Clean the rice with cold water 
    • Keep a medium-size stockpot on the stove and add the water as per the quantity mentioned in the ingredients
    • Bring the water to boil
    • Add the rice, salt, and half of the cooking oil
    • Stir well, close the lid and let it simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes
    • After 15 minutes, open the lid and stir once.  Close the lid and let the rice simmer for another 3 minutes.
    • Turn off the stove and let the rice bake in the steam for some more time. 
    • The rice will be ready in 10 more minutes
  4. Preparing the Cilantro lime rice
    • Chop the garlic into thin slices
    • Take a non-stick Sauté pan. Pour the remaining oil and add the garlic slices
    • Fry the garlic until they turn light brown and start to give out a nice roasted smell
    • Add the cooked rice , lime juice and cilantro and mix well
    • Cilantro lime rice is now ready to serve
  5. Pan-seared onions and green bell peppers (Roasted)
    • Cut the onions and bell peppers into thin slices lengthwise (about 4 mm thick)
    • Keep a  frying pan on the stove at high heat ( highest level of flame)
    • When the pan is hot, add the onions. Sprinkle 1 Tsp of oil
    • Stir until the oil coats uniformly 
    • Let the onion cook on high heat. Stir every 45 seconds. We want to get a nice char and smokey flavor on the onions. 
    • Once the onions start to turn brown ( it will take 2-3 minutes on high heat) and get charring on the edges, remove from heat.  
    • The secret of getting the right flavor of grilled onions is to maintain the high heat so that the onions don't get soft while the outer layer is burnt.
    • Repeat the process for Green bell peppers.
  6. Serving the Fajita
    • Take a serving bowl
    • Add ½ cup of Cilantro lime rice and spread it flat on the base of the bowl
    • Add desired quantity of toppings - Birria Tofu, grilled veggies, pico de gallo
    • Add other optional toppings: Black beans, Corn, chopped Lettuce, grated Cheese - Monterey Jack Cheese / Mexican blend
Notes
  • If you don't want to take the trouble of preparing Birria sauce from scratch, you can easily customize this recipe. One option is to make crispy stir-fried Tofu and coating it with Mexican seasonings and/or any type of Mexican cooking sauces/bases that are available in grocery stores. Some recommendations would be Mole sauces, Guajillo Chile sauce, Pasilla Chile sauce, Chipotle sauce, Salsa Taquera or Salsa Verde.

 

  • Other optional toppings: Black beans, Corn, chopped Lettuce, grated Cheese - Monterey Jack Cheese / Mexican blend

 

Keywords: Fajita, Cilantro, Birria, Vegetarian, Mexican, Vegan, Tex-Mex, Rice, Bowl,
Read it online: https://www.mellowmasala.com/recipe/vegan-fajita-bowl-with-birria-tofu/
Vinay Mummigatti

I love traveling, cooking, and reading. This blog is a reflection of my passion for cooking. Food is a representation of culture and I have tried to assimilate foods from different cultures across the world. I am an Indian by birth who moved to the USA 20 years back. I hope my recipes and articles bring new experiences and joy to the readers. Please share your comments and feedback.