Salt & Pepper Tofu
Crispy fried tofu tossed with spicy peppers and an aromatic 5-spice seasoning blend.
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Servings: 4
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Equipment
- colander
- lint-free kitchen towel
- Frying thermometer
- heavy pot for frying
- wire rack and cookie sheet to transfer fried tofu
- wok or frying pan
- spider or slotted spoon or tongs
Ingredients
Fried Tofu
- 1 (14 or 16 oz) block firm or extra-firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup cornstarch can sub potato starch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot starch
- frying oil such as peanut oil, usually 2-4 cups depending on the size of your pot
Seasoning Blend
- 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder or up to 1/2 teaspoon, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper or up to 1/2 teaspoon, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
Stir Fry
- 1 small red bell pepper or 2 fresno red peppers, chopped
- 1-2 hot green peppers (jalapeños, serranos, or birds eye chilis) depending on spice preference, sliced in rounds
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 2-3 cloves
- 2-3 fresh scallions thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
Instructions
Salt Brine the Tofu
- Note: This is a Chinese method used to firm up the tofu as well as infuse it with some salty flavor. If you prefer, you can also feel free to use a different method to press your tofu and skip to the next section.
- Boil water: Pour about 4 cups of water into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cut tofu: In the meantime, cut the block of tofu into roughly 1" cubes, or tear into bite-sized pieces.
- Brine the tofu: When the water reaches a boil, stir in 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Then add in the tofu pieces, remove from heat, and allow the tofu to soak in the salt brine for about 10 minutes.
- Dry the tofu: After 10 minutes, pour the tofu out into a colander and allow it to drain for a few minutes, till cool enough to handle. Then transfer the tofu to a clean, lint-free kitchen towel and gently blot it to remove excess liquid.
Make the Spice Blend
- Mix spices: In a small bowl, mix together five-spice powder, ground white pepper, granulated garlic, and salt. Set aside. Now is also a good time to make sure your peppers, garlic, and scallions are sliced up.
Coat and Fry the Tofu
- Coat the tofu in starch: Add about half the cornstarch (or another starch of choice to the bottom of a mixing bowl. Add in the tofu and pour the remaining starch on top. Then use your hands or a flexible rubber spatula to gently toss the tofu until it's thoroughly coated with the starch. Let the tofu sit in the starch while you heat the oil.
- Prep your frying pot: Add your frying oil to a pot or pan. Personally I like to use a heavy pot (a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet), because it will retain heat and keep the temperature stable while frying. I also like to use a pot with high sides to avoid splattering, but this is optional. I usually need to use about 2-3 cups of oil in my pot, but you might need more if yours is larger.
- Heat the frying oil: Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 400°F. I like to fry these at around 350-375°F, but the temperature will drop once the tofu is added, which is why I start at 400°F. A thermometer is highly recommended to monitor the temperature.
- Prep your space: While the oil heats, set up a spot for your tofu once it's fried. I like to use a wire cooling rack over a cookie sheet. You can use a paper towel lined plate if you prefer.
- Add tofu to oil: Once the frying oil reaches 400°F, carefully add your starch-coated tofu pieces. Give them a quick stir just to ensure they aren't sticking to the bottom of the pot, then let them fry undisturbed for about 1-2 minutes. At this point some of the pieces may be sticking together slightly. Carefully peel them apart. (I usually use two forks to do this, but be cautious of the oil splattering.) Some starches stick more than others — see notes.
- Fry until crispy: Fry the tofu pieces for 5-6 minutes in total, stirring occasionally, until they are very crispy. Starch won't develop a deep golden brown color in the same way that flour would, but they will be slightly golden brown when they are ready.
- Remove tofu: Turn off the heat. Use a metal spider, slotted spoon, or tongs to remove the crispy fried tofu to the rack or plate you prepared earlier.
Finishing Touches
- Stir-fry aromatics: In a wok or frying pan, spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the oil from your frying pan and heat over medium-high. Add in the chopped red pepper, sliced green pepper(s), minced garlic, and the white portions of the scallions. Stir fry for about 2-3 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
- Add tofu and seasoning: Toss in the crispy fried tofu and sprinkle on the seasoning mix you prepped earlier. Stir-fry for another minute or so until everything is heated through.
- Serve: Serve garnished with the sliced green scallions! I also love to serve with lime wedges to add a bit of freshness.
Notes
- Frying oil: My oil of choice is peanut oil due to its affordability, high smoke point, and buttery yet neutral flavor. You can use any neutral oil with a high smoke point. (Vegetable oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, etc.)
- Starch options: I have tested this recipe with cornstarch, tapioca starch, potato starch, and arrowroot starch. In this recipe the final results are all pretty similar. There are some minor differences in flavor but they are not very noticeable once the seasoning is added. For the average home cook I would use cornstarch because it is less "sticky" than the other starches, and easier to work with.
- Five-spice powder: A Chinese seasoning blend consisting of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns and fennel. It adds a delicious and unique flavor to this dish, so I highly recommend buying some if you can! Otherwise you can omit it.
- White pepper: White pepper has a milder spice and a more earthy flavor than black pepper. It's almost a little "funky." It adds something special to the dish, but if you don't have it or don't like it, feel free to use black pepper instead.
- Tofu: You can also use a block of super-firm (high-protein) tofu for this recipe.
Useful Tools
- Frying thermometer.
- Wire rack and cookie sheet.
- Stainless steel spider.
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