Crispy and well-seasoned on the outside, soft on the inside — this is how you make a star out of tofu! Enjoy as-is, dunked in your favourite sauce, or alongside rice and some steamed veggies.
You will need
Serves 2
- 300 grams silken tofu, semi-firm, cubed
- 4 tablespoons rice flour
- 4 tablespoons plain flour (or cornflour)
- Big pinch of salt
- 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
- 2 spring onions, sliced (green part only)
- 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground
- 4-5 long dried chillies, whole
- 200 ml vegetable oil
Recipe: Simon Toohey
Directions
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Step 1
In a bowl, combine the rice flour and plain flour.
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Step 2
Cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes (approximately 3cm), and add into the flour mix, working through with your hands until the cubes are well coated. Season generously with salt.
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Step 3
In a pan, heat the oil to approximately 180℃ and place in the tofu to shallow fry. Turn the cubes regularly, so that all sides becomes golden (this should take between 5-10 minutes)
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Step 4
Remove the tofu from the oil and set aside to drain on paper towel.
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Step 5
Finely chop the fresh chilli and the green of the spring onion.
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Step 6
Using a fresh pan and excess oil left from frying the tofu (approximately 2-3 tablespoons), fry the chilli and spring onion on medium heat until fragrant.
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Step 7
Return the tofu to the pan to double-fry, adding cracked black pepper, ground Sichuan pepper, and the dried chillies. Toss until the tofu is coated in all of the spices.
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Step 8
Serve up on a plate, seasoning one last time with salt and pepper. Garnish with spring onion and enjoy!
Recipe: Simon Toohey
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