Veganuary Day 14 - Salt and Pepper Tofu
Hi there, Happy Tuesday!
Today, I want to share with you a great recipe for that day when you’re craving take-out food. You can make delicious take away food from the comfort of your home with healthier ingredients and way cheaper. What about the classic Chinese Salt and Pepper Tofu?
Little did I know about this dish before I met my husband. I had never heard of salt and pepper tofu, and I considered myself a big fan of Chinese food. Of course, Spanish-Chinese food is very (veeeeery) far from authentic Chinese food.
For the first time in Ireland, Astra brought me to his favorite Chinese restaurant so I could try their famous salt and pepper tofu. It was a tiny place that had just a couple of dishes, and one of them was this tofu dish.
At the time, I wasn't vegetarian, so tofu was quite plain for me, but when I tried it with the salt and pepper seasoning and some stir-fried veggies, it totally changed my perception of tofu forever! Today, I made a list of 16 Tofu dishes I would serve to a meat lover to convert them, and one of them is this Salt and Pepper Tofu!
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Ingredients
For the Tofu
Firm Tofu. For stir-fried dishes such as Salt and Pepper Tofu, the best tofu you can use is firm or extra-firm tofu. As well we recommend getting fresh tofu if that is an option you have, as you may not be able to find it in your local supermarket. At home, Asian supermarkets always have fresh tofu, so maybe try there if you have any close by.
Cornstarch. This is an essential ingredient to create that thin and crispy layer when deep-frying the tofu. Cornstarch also helps absorb any excess moisture from the tofu. If you don't have cornstarch, you can try using some all-purpose flour or rice flour.
Seasoning. To season the tofu, we use black pepper, white pepper, and mushroom powder. You can use vegetable stock instead of mushroom powder or simply skip this ingredient.
For the salt and pepper seasoning
You need the perfect seasoning to make the best salt and pepper tofu.
Salt. Of course, salt is one of the ingredients you need. We use sea salt and ground it finely using a mortar and pestle.
Black pepper and white pepper. You can use whole or ground black pepper and white pepper. If you are using whole spices, you can ground them using a pestle and mortar.
Five-spice powder. This Chinese spice blend makes for a perfect seasoning for this dish. You can make your own Five Spice Powder, or buy it already made.
Other Ingredients
For this Chinese dish, we add sauté garlic, onion, green pepper, red chili, and green onions. You can add other ingredients, such as Szechuan peppercorns, or use other veggies you like, such as broccoli, zucchini, carrots, bok choi, etc.
We try using seasonal ingredients when possible, so during summer, we like adding garden veggies such as chard, zucchini, green beans, and peppers.
Cooking Method
First, you'll want to cook the tofu to perfection. There are many different things you can do to get the perfect texture for the tofu to get extra crispy when cooking it. Some are easier, and some take more time. We have been cooking with tofu for more than 10 years, and for us, the most important thing to do is simply to remove the excess water by wrapping the tofu with kitchen paper or a clean kitchen towel for a few minutes. Then, you can change the paper towel to a dry one and repeat.
This is a simple thing you can do while preparing the rest of the ingredients and it does help a lot.
You could place a heavy object on top to help remove the excess water; you could freeze the tofu overnight, you could even use a tofu presser, etc. It depends on how much time you have, and at home, time is quite limited!
After removing the excess water, cut the tofu into medium-sized cubes and place them in a large mixing bowl.
Add the cornflour, black pepper, white pepper, and mushroom powder and combine well until all the tofu is evenly coated. If you prefer, you can add the seasoning ingredients on a plate and coat the tofu pieces one by one.
Once your tofu is well coated, heat some oil over medium heat using a wok or a pan. For this recipe, we like using our wok; somehow, it gives the dish a nicer taste than when we use our pan.
You will need enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan or wok so the tofu doesn't stick to the bottom. If you overcrowd the pan, the tofu pieces may stick to each other so maybe you'll need to cook the tofu into a few batches.
When the tofu is evenly cooked and golden brown, remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon and place it on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.
Using a small bowl, mix salt, black and white pepper, and five-spice powder. Combine all the ingredients and set aside. If you are using whole spices or sea salt, you will need to grind them using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder.
Next, finely chop the onion, garlic, green pepper, and red chili pepper. Using the same frying pan or wok, remove the oil used for the tofu and just leave enough to stir-fry these ingredients.
First, add the onion and stir-fry for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic, green pepper, and red chili. Sauté for about 6-7 minutes.
Add the tofu and finely chopped spring onions to the wok or pan with the rest of the ingredients and half of the salt and pepper seasoning. Stir for 1 minute and turn off the heat.
Now, you can serve your salt and pepper tofu and add more seasoning to your taste.
Download the whole recipe for quantities and instructions. Also, you can find more information about this recipe on the blog.
I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe and look forward to the next ones!
Talk soon,
Laura.
Damn delish. That's 🙌
one of my favourite dishes! x