Spicy Fried Tofu
It was a snowy day and I wanted something spicy to warm me up. I had a tub of tofu and a dream. Ok, I had a tub of tofu and some leftovers from a Chinese New Year party. This was firm tofu in a tub, not the silken type that comes in cartons. I had some spicy dipping sauce I had made, green onions and chopped peanuts. I also had some homemade teriyaki sauce a friend had made. I am sure store bought would also work. Here is how I made it.
Spicy Fried Tofu
1 lb. firm or extra firm tofu- not silken type
3-4 T. cornstarch
Salt and pepper
¼ c. oil
½ c. spicy dipping sauce- recipe follows
2 T. teriyaki sauce
Chopped roasted peanuts
Chopped green onions
Remove tofu from the tub and drain well. Press tofu to get out excess water. I placed the tofu on a tray and put a plate on top of it and then put a mixing bowl and added water to the bowl. The weight pressed water out of the tofu, but didn’t crush it. After 15 minutes or so, I took the bowl off and wrapped the tofu in paper towels and pressed it firmly to get out more water. I removed the paper towels and did it one more time with fresh paper towels. They were damp, but not soaking wet, so I was happy that the tofu was dry enough to work with. I cut the tofu into cubes about one inch square. Then place the cornstarch in a plastic bag with a generous shake of salt and pepper. Shake the tofu in the bag, a handful of cubes at a time to coat evenly with the cornstarch. Place prepared tofu in a bowl and heat oil in a skillet. Once the oil is hot, fry the tofu, turning until golden on all sides. I did this step in two batches. When you take the tofu out of the pan, place on a dish with paper towels to absorb any grease. Once all the tofu is cooked, place in a bowl and toss with the dipping sauce and teriyaki sauce. You can add more sauce if you like. Spoon portions of the tofu onto plates and sprinkle with the peanuts and green onions before serving. Serves 3-4.
Spicy Dipping Sauce aka Diane’s Magic Sauce
½ c. rice vinegar
½ c. apple cider vinegar
½ c. sugar
2 T. spicy chili crisp sauce – found at Asian grocery stores
1 T. minced garlic or 1 t. dried minced garlic
1 T. orange zest
2T. light soy sauce
Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar melts. Makes just under 2 cups. Keeps for weeks in the fridge.
