Up your tofu game with this chili tofu that's full of yummy surprises! The tofu slices are coated in an "eggy" batter and pan fried to golden crispy perfection, then cooked in a umami, spicy, savory, and slightly sweet red and green chili pepper sauce - prepare extra rice to serve because this dish is a flavor bomb and you won't wanna waste a single drop of the sauce!
One of my greatest joy in the kitchen is to think of endless new ways to eat tofu. I can literally gush about my love for tofu all day, it's a complete protein, it's one of the oldest foods that human beings have been consuming for thousands of years, it's mind-blowingly versatile, and contrary to some uninformed assumption, it's utterly delicious. Oh, and above all, soy is good for you, females or males, don't let the dairy industry or the other newer and more expensive plant milk options that has 3 times more ingredients fool you.
Since I went vegan/plant based overnight, I haven't had much problems recreating all my previously fave dishes with mostly whole food plants. But one thing I kind of missed was egg batter, it's like a little culinary magic trick that my mom does a lot, almost everything is instantly 10 times more delicious when battered in egg and pan-fried, eggplants, pumpkin, zucchini, and of course, tofu. And finally, I tried to recreate that eggy batter feeling with chickpea flour and it worked perfectly! Crispy on the outside and fluffy and tender on the inside, just like I remembered!
For the sauce, I did a very festive red and green chili pepper sticky sauce. I'm currently summering in Southhampton so am taking advantage of all the amazing local produce, the peppers I used here are locally grown cherry bomb peppers and shishito peppers, but you can use any peppers you like and if you have low tolerance of spiciness you can definitely go with sweet peppers.
INGREDIENTS:
14 oz extra firm tofu
1/4 napa cabbage, or as much as you want
2 scallion, whites and greens separated
3-4 garlic cloves minced
Neutral tasting cooking oil
For the "eggy" batter -
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1 tablespoon tapioca starch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kala namak, aka black salt
3/4 cup soy milk
For the pepper sauce -
2 red pepper
Green part of the scallions
2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari sauce for GF
1 tablespoon mushroom "oyster" sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder or corn starch
Small pinch of salt
3/4 cup water
TO MAKE:
- Drain and pat dry the tofu, make two diagonal cuts - like an X, then cut into 1/2 inch thick triangles;
- Prepare the eggy batter by mixing all the dry ingredients first, then slowly pour in the soy milk while whisking everything together till very smooth, pour the mixture over the tofu slices and coat every slice evenly;
- Heat a generous drizzle of oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat, shake off any excess batter on the tofu, place in the pan one by one, make sure they don't touch;
- Pan fry the first side for about 2 - 3 minutes, DO NOT move them until the batter is cooked solid on the first side, if you move the slices around when the batter is still liquid it'd be smeared all over the pan instead of staying on the tofu;
- When the batter on the first side is cooked and golden, flip it over to cook the other side for another 2 minutes, same rule, do not move them around until the batter is cooked, keep turning until all 6 sides are golden brown, set aside;
- Meanwhile, prep the vegetables, mince the garlic, chop the scallion, separating the white and green parts, trim off the root on the napa cabbage so you can easily separate the leaves;
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a clean pan, fry off the scallion whites and garlic first, saute for a minute or so until aromatic;
- Then add in napa cabbage leaves, cover the entire bottom of the pan;
- Transfer the tofu into the pan, arrange ontop of the napa cabbage;
- Mix all the pepper sauce ingredients, slowly pour into the pan, cover with the lid and bring to a simmer, let it simmer for 20 minutes;
- Serve hot, enjoy!
