If I could only cook one dish for a tofu skeptic…

By Rainbow Plant Life · 30 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Slice the tofu in half lengthwise, press each slab gently with a towel to remove some water, then cut into squares 1 cm thick. Lay them on a board, cover with a towel or paper towels and press with a heavy book.
2. Remove the towel. If the tofu is still wet, dab it dry, then sprinkle the top of each square with a little salt.
3. Heat a 12-inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat with the neutral oil for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, line a board with paper towels.
4. Using a slotted spoon, add the tofu to the hot oil in a single layer. Cook 5-8 minutes until the bottom is golden brown, then flip and cook 4-5 minutes more until golden on the other side. Move to the towel-lined board and sprinkle with a couple of pinches of salt.
5. Whisk together the braising liquid ingredients in a jar or bowl.
6. Wipe out the pan, add 1 tablespoon chile oil (or neutral oil) and heat over medium-high. Add the scallion whites and greens, garlic and ginger and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the vegetables and stir-fry about 2 minutes until crisp-tender.
7. Pour in the braising liquid, bring to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
8. Stir the cornstarch into the 1/2 cup (120 mL) water. After the 5 minutes, add the slurry and whisk 45-60 seconds until it thickens a bit but not too much.
9. Add the fried tofu and coat it in the sauce. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce clings to the tofu. Take off the heat and cool a few minutes.
10. Serve over rice, garnished with thinly sliced scallion greens, sesame seeds and a light drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

Summarized from Rainbow Plant Life's video. Watch it for the details.

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GarlicGingerScallionRiceBell pepperBrown sugarTofuExtra firm tofu