Salt and Pepper Tofu
Salt and pepper tofu, it's crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, stir fried with onions and peppers, seasoned with an addictive salt and pepper seasoning mix, and garnished with crispy garlic pieces. It's also a dim sum classic that's vegan and vegetarian friendly, gluten-free, and can be easily made in less than 30 minutes! For another addictive salt and pepper recipe, this Taiwanese fried chicken is a must-try, or this shumai (siu mai) if you're in the mood for dim sum!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 (14-16oz) block tofu (cut into ½ to 1 inch cubes (firm, medium , or soft) *see notes)
- 3 tablespoons garlic (roughly chopped)
- ½ small yellow onion (diced)
- ⅓ red bell pepper (diced (optional))
- ½ jalapeño pepper (sliced (optional - more or less to your preference))
- 1 stalk green onion (sliced (optional))
- 5 pieces whole dry chili pepper (optional)
- Oil (for cooking and frying)
- ¾ cup cornstarch (or as needed)
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon gochugaru (fine ground) (or ground paprika )
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn (toasted and ground (optional)*see notes)
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar (or caster sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon msg (optional but highly recommended)
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the ingredients:
- 2
Prepare the tofu:Bring a pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. We recommend 1 tablespoon of salt per 2 quarts of water.
- 3
Once the water comes to a boil and the salt has dissolved, take it off the heat and gently add the cubed tofu. Set it aside and let the tofu brine for about 10 to 15 minutes.*You can use this time prepare the rest of the ingredients.*
- 4
Prepare a plate or tray lined with paper towels. After 10 to 15 minutes, gently drain the tofu and place them onto the prepared plate or tray. Gently pat the tofu dry with more paper towels and set aside until needed.
- 5
Make the salt and pepper seasoning mix:In a bowl, mix together the all the ingredients for the salt and pepper seasoning mix (salt, Sichuan pepper, sugar, msg, and white pepper). Set aside until needed.*One recipes makes about 4 teaspoons of seasoning, which is more than what's needed. You can store the leftover for another use.*
- 6
Make the seasoned cornstarch dredge:In a wide mixing bowl, mix together everything for the dredge (cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, and finely ground gochugaru). Set aside until needed.
- 7
Make the salt and pepper tofu:
- 8
Stir fry aromatics:In a wok or large pan over medium low heat, add about 2 tablespoons of oil. While the oil is heating up, add the chopped garlic and fry until the garlic is fragrant, golden, and crispy. Remove immediately and allow to drain on some paper towel. Set aside until needed.
- 9
In the same wok or pan, increase the heat to medium high and add a very small amount of oil, just enough to coat the wok. Once hot, add the dry whole peppers and stir fry quickly for a few seconds. Immediately add the onion and stir fry until it starts to turn translucent and fragrant.
- 10
Then, add the red bell peppers and jalapeño peppers and stir fry briefly, about 10 to 15 seconds. Take the wok off the heat and set aside until needed.
- 11
Fry the tofu:In a pot, heat 1 to 2 inches of oil to 350°F. Also prepare a plate lined with paper towels or a tray with a cooling rack and a spider strainer.
- 12
Pat dry the tofu cubes one more time if needed and gently coat with the seasoned cornstarch. Make sure all sides are well coated and only coat with the seasoned cornstarch as much as you can fry per batch.
- 13
Gently place the dredged tofu cubes into the hot oil and and fry for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden and crispy. Remove and let the tofu drain on the paper towels or cooling rack for a moment. Make sure to not overcrowd the oil and maintain the temperature. Fry in batches if necessary.*If you're frying in batches, you can refry the earlier batches for 15 to 30 seconds to reheat and make the tofu extra crispy.*
- 14
Season and finish:While the fried tofu is draining, heat up the wok or pan of stir fried onions and peppers over medium hight heat. Stir fry briefly until the veggies are hot again and add the fried tofu, green onion, and half of the crispy garlic. Sprinkle in about 1½ teaspoons of the prepared salt and pepper seasoning mix and toss briefly to combine.
- 15
Serve immediately and garnish with the rest of the crispy garlic and more salt and pepper mix if desired. Enjoy while hot!