When my husband asked me if I could make something with Tofu, I thought it an odd request. Not that there is anything wrong with Tofu, but he is a meat, chicken, fish type of guy. Are you sure, I asked him? Yup, I want you to make something with Tofu, he told me. Ok, I said, I will have to think of what I could make. Since I never made anything with Tofu before, I needed to do my homework. The only time I have really seen dishes with Tofu in them are in Chinese and Japanese restaurants. I’m sure they are in other types of cuisines, I just have never seen it. I do know that Tofu will take on the flavors that you are using in your recipes. I wanted to make something that used a very flavorful sauce so I thought that Szechuan Tofu would be a great dish to make. I have made my version of Szechuan Chicken which is very similar to General Tso’s Chicken, so I thought substituting it with Tofu would be perfect. While this recipe is not unique, I decided to try and make it as low fat as possible since most Asian food that you get in restaurants have tons of fat in it.
I wasn’t sure how my dish would come out, or if we would even like it. Well, guess what? We LOVED it!! That’s right, we all absolutely loved it!! The tofu was not flavorless like I thought it would be, but did take on the taste of the sauce.
To see how I made Szechuan Tofu, keep reading!
Szechuan Tofu
| Szechuan Tofu | |
- 1 large brick of extra firm tofu (this can be found in the produce dept)
- 2-3 heaping tbsp. cornstarch or flour
- 2 tbsp. peanut oil (or any other vegetable oil)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tbsp. chili sauce (the kind that looks like ketchup)
- 2 tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 2-3 tbsps. chopped red onion or shallot
- ½ to 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp. ginger, chopped
- 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce (or more, if you like it really spicy)
- When you use tofu it sits in a liquid inside the plastic so you will need to get out as much water as possible. You can do this by placing the tofu onto a plate with paper towels and putting something heavy on top like a plate and let it sit for about a half hour or so.
- In a large glass measuring cup or bowl combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, sugar, chili sauce, sesame oil and water. Mix well and set aside.
- Slice the tofu into thin slices about ½ inch slices and coat with the cornstarch, shaking off the excess.
- Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a nonstick wok or frying pan over medium high heat and fry the tofu until nicely browned and crispy, but not burnt. Watch it carefully. Also, do not crowd the tofu in the pan. Turn after about two or three minutes. When they are all finished, remove from pan, set aside.
- Clean out the pan, or use another pan and heat the other tbsp. of the oil and add the onions/shallots and ginger, stir fry for about a minute or two. Mix in the sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 3 minutes or so and then add the tofu and mix gently. Garnish with the green onions! Serve and enjoy!
What an awesome tofu recipe Sandi. I have never tried making at home, but this sounds interesting!
Thanks Hadia! I wasn’t sure if I would like it but it really was quite delicious! I think you will like it as well! 🙂 Have a great day!
Sandi, I am always looking to learn about new ways to prepare tofu and can’t wait to try your dish! I especially love the combination of colors and flavors…well done!
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Thanks very much Linda….it was really good and as I said in my post, I wasn’t sure if I would like it but I did…we all did! Have a great day! 🙂
Sandi, this looks fantastic. I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you very much Nancy, I really think you will love it!! Have a great day!! 🙂
Thanks Katerina…it really was very good and we all loved it! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! 🙂
Made this dish tonight – totally awesome! The sauce is a little thin so I added some cornstarch in water as a thickener. I paired it with brown rice and broccoli – would love to send you a pic. I will be making this again!
Ohh I’m so glad that you liked the recipe! 🙂 I would love to see a picture. Send it to sandi@anewyorkfoodie(dot)com