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Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
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Every bite of this Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu is loaded with flavor and crunch. It is quick and easy to make at home. Plus, it can be made vegan.
Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu is a popular classic Chinese dish. The tofu is deep-fried to perfection. It is crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. Then, it is stir-fried with chili peppers, crispy garlic, and seasonings. It is bursting with spicy, savory flavors that will surprise and delight everyone at your table.
Ingredients You Need
- Tofu – Use firm or medium tofu since it is less likely to break than soft tofu when being handled.
- All-purpose flour –The developed gluten helps the batter cling to the tofu without producing an overly chewy or oily crust
- Cornstarch –When paired with all-purpose flour, cornstarch helps prevent gluten development, which makes the flour coating crispier.
- Baking powder – The baking powder reacts with the oil and creates tiny air bubbles, which also helps form a crispy coating.
- Ice water – This slows down the formation of gluten to prevent the crust from absorbing too much oil and turning your fried tofu into heavy, fried food.
- Garlic – To make crispy garlic. It will add texture and extra flavor to this dish.
- Red chili peppers – I used a mix of curly red chilis (mild spicy) and bird’s eye chili (very spicy). You can use less spicy chili peppers to make this recipe less spicy.
- Scallion – Mostly for garnishing and adding color to the dish.
- Seasonings – Salt, sugar, chicken stock powder/granulated mushroom bouillon, and ground white pepper.
How to Make
- Mix all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, chicken stock powder, and ice water until combined. Add tofu and gently mix until the tofu is coated with the mixture.
- Deep fry the tofu until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
- Fry minced garlic until pale golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
- Stir-fry chili peppers with chicken stock powder, sugar, and ground white pepper.
- Add fried tofu, crispy garlic, and scallion. Toss until combined.
- Serve warm.
How to Serve
This tofu is crunchiest when it is fresh. After multiple hours, the coating will be a little softer. So, it is best to consume this dish immediately after cooking it.
This Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu is best eaten with steaming rice. Serve with some side dishes for a complete meal.
Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
Servings: 4
Every bite of this Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu is loaded with flavor and crunch. It is quick and easy to make at home. Plus, it can be made vegan.
Ingredients
Crispy Fried Tofu
- 15.8 oz (450 gr) firm tofu, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm cubes
- 13 tbsp (100 gr) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (40 gr) cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) ice water
- Oil, for deep frying
Spice Mix
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 curly red chilis, thinly sliced
- 4 red bird’s eye chilis, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 stalk scallion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
Crispy Fried Tofu
- Make the batter – In a medium bowl, mix all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and chicken stock powder. Add ice water gradually to prevent lumps. Whisk until smooth and well incorporated.
- Add tofu to the batter. Gently mix until the tofu pieces are covered with the batter.
- Fry tofu – In a large frying pan, add enough oil for deep frying. Heat on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully drop tofu pieces one by one into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan. You may need to fry them in 2-3 batches. Fry tofu until golden brown and crispy for about 10 minutes, flipping occasionally for even browning. Place the finished tofu on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
Spice Mix
- Fry garlic – Using the oil from deep frying the tofu, turn the heat to low heat. Add the minced garlic and deep fry until pale golden brown and crispy. Strain the garlic from the oil and set aside. Do this quickly so that the garlic does not overcook.
- Stir fry the chili peppers – Remove the oil from the pan. Heat the pan on low heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, add chili peppers, chicken stock powder, sugar, and ground white pepper. Stir fry for about 30-60 seconds.
- Add fried tofu, scallion, and crispy fried garlic and toss until combined. Remove from the heat and immediately transfer to a serving plate. Don't toss for too long or the garlic and chili peppers will burn.
- Serve warm with steaming rice and other side dishes.
Notes
Vegan option – Substitute the chicken stock powder with granulated mushroom bouillon. If you don’t have the bouillon, you can omit it and add 1/2 tsp salt to the spice mix to season it.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 534mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 3mg
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