Kung Pao Tofu
February 28, 2025
Found I had many of the ingredients in my pantry, from several other Chinese and Asian dishes. While marked, “easy,” the shopping list below may not be for everyone. However, it’s worth the effort, especially for a dish that does not disappoint.
Ingredients:
1 – (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu
¼ – Cup soy sauce
2– Tbls. brown sugar
2 – Tbls. hoisin sauce
2 – Tbls. rice wine or sake
1 – Tbls. black vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
2 – Tsp. toasted sesame oil
½ – Tsp. freshly ground white pepper or ¼ teaspoon finely ground white pepper
3 – Garlic cloves, finely grated
1 – (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 – Tsp. cornstarch (for the sauce) plus ¼ cup (for the tofu)
Salt
Grapeseed or other neutral oil, as needed
1 – Red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch squares
2 – Celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch slices
4 – Scallions, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 – Tsp. Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
4 – Whole Tianjin chiles or chiles de árbol, crushed
⅓ – Cup roasted peanuts
¼ – Cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
White rice, for serving
Directions:
Drain the tofu, wrap in a clean kitchen towel, set on a plate and put a cast-iron skillet or other weighty object on top. Let it press for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.
While the tofu is pressed, prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin, rice wine, vinegar, sesame oil, white pepper, garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and ⅓ cup water until combined.
After the tofu has been pressed, unwrap it and cut into ¾-inch cubes. Transfer tofu to a medium bowl, season with salt and coat in ¼ cup cornstarch; set aside.
In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add enough neutral oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When it starts shimmering, add the tofu. Cook until one side is golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes, then flip. Cook until the other side is crisp and golden brown, another 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.
Add the red bell pepper, celery and scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the red bell pepper starts to soften while maintaining some bite and the vegetables char, about 4 minutes. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and chiles and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and sauce, and stir to coat; make sure the sauce simmers and thickens, about 2 minutes. Finish with the peanuts and cilantro, stir again, then serve immediately with rice.
Notes:
If you grind up the Sichuan peppercorns or tear up the Tianjin chilis, you can definitely increase the heat of the dish.
Source:
NYTimes Cooking: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025397-kung-pao-tofu
Post Tags:
Chinese, stir-fry, Tofu,