Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu

5 from 1 vote

Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu

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.

Author: Taste of Nusa

Course: Main, Side Dish

Cuisine: Chinese, Indonesian

Difficulty: Intermediate

Dietary: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Prep Time:10

Cook Time:25

Total Time:35

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.

Nutrition