Salt and pepper tofu is a crispy, tasty and easy Chinese dish that you can make at home with simple ingredients. It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and makes great for lunch, dinner or even for snack. This homemade version is flavourful, healthier and tastes even better than restaurants. You can enjoy this crispy tofu on its own or serve it with fried rice or noodles.
Chinese Salt and Pepper Tofu
Salt and Pepper tofu is an easy and simple Appetizer you can make. Crispy tofu tossed with lots of ginger, garlic, onions and peppers makes it taste wonderful.
Salt and pepper dishes are a popular part of Chinese cuisine and are traditionally made with chicken, prawn, pork, or squid. For Vegetarian version, you can use paneer, mushroom, tofu, broccoli. With a few simple steps, you can make perfectly crispy tofu at home without it turning soft or soggy.
About Salt and Pepper Tofu
Tofu is one of the best plant based protein that can be enjoyed by vegetarians, vegans and by anyone who loves healthy food. For this recipe, choosing the right type of tofu is important.
The three main types of tofu are silken, soft and firm. Silken tofu is great for creamy curries, sauces, check my mapo tofu udon. while soft tofu works for stir-fries. Firm or extra firm tofu is the best choice for salt and pepper recipe because it holds its shape well and becomes crispy when cooked.
Firm tofu is coated with flour, salt, and pepper, then fried until golden crispy. It is then tossed with garlic, ginger, onion, capsicum, soy sauce, salt, sugar and pepper.
This recipe is easy to make at home and tastes similar to those you get in Chinese restaurants. You can serve it with fried rice, noodles. or even with roti.
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Ingredients
- Tofu : Use firm tofu as it holds its shape well while cooking. You can use either homemade or store bought tofu.
- Seasoning : Salt and pepper are used to season the tofu. Adjust the amount according to your taste.
- Cornstarch : this helps create a light and crispy coating on the tofu.
- Oil : Oil used to saute the tofu and spices also for frying.
- Ginger and garlic : Fresh ginger and garlic adds the aroma and taste to the dish.
- Vegetables : Onion and capsicum adds crunch and sweetness to the dish.
- Soy sauce : Soy sauce adds rich umami flavour and gives the tofu a delicious savory taste.
- Salt, sugar and pepper : This seasoning mix balances the overall flavour and taste of the dish.
Step by Step Pictures
1)I used firm tofu for this salt and pepper tofu. Unpack the cover and wrap the tofu with paper towel and place a weight over it. This removes the water from the tofu.
2)Now cut it into cubes.
3)Add in salt, pepper and cornstarch over the tofu and mix well.
4)Coat the tofu with this really well. This helps create a crispy texture when frying.
5)Heat oil for shallow frying. Drop the cornstarch coated tofu and fry on medium high heat till golden and crispy on all sides.
6)Fry till tofu gets golden brown.
7)Remove the fried tofu on some paper towel to remove excess oil.
8)Now heat some oil in a pan. Add in finely chopped onions, bell peppers, ginger and garlic.
9)Sprinkle some sugar over this and mix well. Saute on high heat for 2 minutes.
10)Add in a dash of soy sauce and toss well.
11)This mixture has to be dry. Add the fried tofu into the onion mix.
12)Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Toss on high heat for 30 seconds.
13)Serve hot.
14)Enjoy immediately with rice.
Expert Tips
- Press out excess water from the tofu and pat dry before coating to make the tofu crispy.
- Use firm or extra firm tofu as it holds its shape well and becomes crispy when cooked.
- Coat the tofu evenly with spices and cornflour.
- Make sure the oil is hot before frying. Instead of deep frying, you can air fry the tofu with little oil until crispy.
- Garnish with spring onions or coriander leaves before serving.
Storage and Serving
Salt and pepper tofu tastes best when served hot and crispy. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat them in the oven or pan to retain its taste and texture.
Serve this tofu as a starter with chilli sauce, sweet chilli sauce or your favorite dip. It also pairs well with fried rice, noodles or can be added to wraps, roti for a filling meal.
FAQ
Q. What type of tofu is best for this recipe ?
Firm or extra firm tofu works best for this recipe because it holds its shape well and becomes crispy when cooked.
Q. Can I make this tofu without deep frying ?
Yes, you can air fry or tawa fry the tofu for a healthier version. It may be slightly less crispy but still tastes delicious.
Q. Can I use soft or silken tofu for this recipe ?
No, it is not recommended to use silken or soft tofu because it is too delicate and can break easily while cooking.
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Salt and Pepper Tofu Recipe (Chinese Style)
Equipment
Ingredients
For Fried Tofu
- 200 grams Extra Firm Tofu
- ½ teaspoon Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder to taste
- 4 tablespoon Cornstarch
- Sunflower Oil for shallow frying
For Aromatics (Stir frying)
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 2 tablespoon Garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon Ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large Capsicum (Green Bell Pepper) chopped finely
- 2 teaspoon Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper Powder to taste
For Garnishing
- 2 no Spring Onions chopped finely
Instructions
- Cut tofu into cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cornstarch and toss well. Heat oil in a pan, drop in tofu and fry till crispy and golden. Drain and set aside.
- In the same pan, add a tblspn of oil, add in ginger, garlic, onion, capsicum and saute till golden. Add in sugar, soy sauce and mix well.
- Now add in the fried tofu and salt and pepper. Toss well. Serve hot with some chopped spring onions.
thana
WOW!My mouths watering looking at the pic. Its so tempting
Anonymous
Wow.. yum recipe.. Lovely collection of recipes aarthi..very good food blog..Appreciate your dedication and hard work..
Aarti
Hi, I'm also from nagercoil..could you please provide some info on store where we could get tofu?