← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 450 g firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 2 cm cubes
• 4 tbsp cornflour, for coating
• 2 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1½ tbsp Sugar
• 2 tsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 3 tbsp Water
• 4 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil, divided
• 6 Dried chillies, snipped in half, seeds shaken out
• 1 tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Ginger, minced
• 1 red or green pepper, cut into 2 cm squares
• 4 Spring onion, cut into 2 cm lengths
• 60 g roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1 tbsp Chilli oil (optional)

Method

1. Toss the tofu cubes gently in the cornflour until coated all over. Stir all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu in a single layer, turning every couple of minutes, until golden and crisp on most sides, 8–10 min. Lift it out onto a plate.
3. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the remaining oil, the dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir for about 30 seconds until the chillies darken slightly and smell toasty.
4. Turn the heat up to high, add the garlic, ginger and pepper and stir-fry for 2 min, until the pepper is bright and just tender.
5. Stir the sauce and pour it in. When it bubbles and thickens, about 30 seconds, return the tofu with the spring onions and toss to glaze.
6. Turn off the heat, stir in the peanuts and chilli oil (if using) and serve straight away with rice.

Tips

• Contains peanuts and soy. Cashews are a common swap if they are safe for you.
• Pressing the tofu under a heavy pan for 15 minutes before cutting gives an even crispier coating.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Omnivore's Cookbook Taste of Asian Food