This succulent, saucy and spicy chilli tofu relies off chilli paneer, an Indo-Chinese language restaurant favourite made with Indian cottage cheese. The tofu is flavored with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, coriander and cumin, making it the proper mix of two distinctive cuisines.
In search of extra scrumptious Indo-Chinese language recipes? Do this veg manchurian and garlic fried rice.
Desk of Contents
What’s Chilli Tofu?
I created this Chilli Tofu recipe greater than a decade in the past, spinning off an Indo-Chinese language recipe known as Chilli Paneer. Chilli Paneer is a spicy, saucy mix of Indian spices and Chinese language condiments, and the star, in fact, is paneer, an Indian cottage cheese.
I beloved the irony of swapping the tofu in for the paneer, which took this fusion recipe nearer to its Chinese language roots whereas holding the flavors intact. An ideal substitution, even when I say so myself.
Paneer, when added to curries and gravies, soaks up the flavors, as does tofu. They even have related textures however the tofu, in fact, is way more healthy. I’ve posted dozens of different recipes that use tofu as a substitute of paneer, together with Vegan Palak “Paneer” and Tofu Makhani, and the tofu works every time.
This can be a reader-favorite recipe and it’s one which we regularly make in our house. I’ve left the recipe itself intact, as a result of it actually wanted no modifications, however I’ve added new pictures and textual content on this up to date submit.
One peeve with the spelling (you recognize I like these! ;)). One may be tempted to spell the “chilli” with a single “l”, as in chili tofu, however in India you spell “chilli” with two “l’s”. Each spellings for chili are appropriate, however there is just one strategy to spell chilli tofu. 😀
Why you’ll love this chilli tofu recipe
- It is uniquely scrumptious. Indo-Chinese language delicacies makes use of spices from Indian delicacies so as to add extra zest and savory taste to Chinese language dishes. Your tastebuds will love the cumin, paprika and coriander married with soy sauce, ginger and garlic.
- Simple recipe. This can be a actually easy recipe that goes from scratch to accomplished in minutes.
- Meal-prep pleasant. You possibly can retailer the chilli tofu within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Actually, the longer the tofu stands the extra flavorful it should turn out to be.
- Vegan, nut-free and gluten-free recipe
Elements
- Tofu. You need to use high-protein tofu, which does not must be pressed, or additional agency tofu.
- Sesame seed oil. This provides genuine taste. You need to use one other unflavored oil of your alternative.
- Greens: Onions, inexperienced bell peppers, scallions and child corn.
- Herbs: garlic, ginger, jalapeno pepper and recent cilantro.
- Spices: cumin seeds, floor coriander, floor black pepper and paprika.
- Soy sauce or tamari. Or use liquid aminos.
- Cornstarch. Tapioca starch works instead. The cornstarch helps thicken the sauce and creates a pleasant glaze that coats the cooked tofu.
How one can make chilli tofu
Combine the marinade substances: cornstarch, ginger, garlic and soy sauce/tamari in a bowl.
Add the tofu cubes to the bowl and toss with a spoon till the tofu cubes are evenly coated with the marinade.
Warmth a wok with 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil. Add the tofu cubes to the wok.
Stir fry the tofu cubes till they’re evenly browned on all sides. Take away the tofu cubes to a plate and put aside.
In the identical wok add the remaining oil over excessive warmth. Add cumin seeds and stir them for a couple of seconds till they launch their aroma. Stir within the ginger and garlic and saute for a couple of seconds.
Add the onions and bell peppers to the wok together with the bottom black pepper, floor coriander and paprika. Combine and proceed to stir-fry over excessive warmth for a few minutes till the bell peppers are tender however have a superb chunk.
Add the tofu cubes to the wok together with the child corn. Make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch and ½ cup water till there aren’t any lumps. Add the slurry to the wok together with the soy sauce or tamari. Combine nicely.
Stir fry the chilli tofu for a pair extra minutes, stir within the scallions, and add extra salt if wanted. Garnish with cilantro and serve sizzling.
High suggestions
- When cooking Chinese language meals, hold all of your substances prepped and prepared earlier than you begin cooking. Since you are cooking over excessive warmth more often than not, you will not have time to prep as you go.
- If you would like a little bit of sweetness on this recipe, add a tablespoon of maple syrup to the wok together with the cornstarch slurry.
- To make the chilli tofu spicier, use cayenne as a substitute of paprika.
Serving strategies
Serve the chili tofu with one of many following:
Storage directions
- Refrigerate: Retailer the chilli tofu within the fridge for as much as 5 days, in an hermetic container.
- Reheat: Reheat the chilli tofu in a wok or skillet, or within the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
You possibly can substitute any quick-cooking veggie utilized in Chinese language delicacies, together with sugar snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots.
A serving of the chili tofu has simply 15 grams of carbs and two grams of dietary fiber. If you’re watching your carbs, skip the child corn, which might convey the carb whole right down to a really keto-friendly six web carbs.
I do not suggest freezing the chilli tofu as a result of freezing will change the feel of the tofu. In the event you do, be ready for the tofu to show chewier and extra porous, as soon as thawed.
Extra scrumptious tofu recipes
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Chilli Tofu
This succulent, saucy and spicy Chilli Tofu relies off chilli paneer, an Indo-Chinese language restaurant favourite made with Indian cottage cheese. The tofu is flavored with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, coriander and cumin, making it the proper mix of two distinctive cuisines.
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Overview Recipe
Servings: 6 servings
Energy: 142kcal
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Directions
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Combine the marinade substances with sufficient water to make a paste. Place the tofu cubes within the marinade and toss with a spoon to coat them evenly with the marinade. Warmth a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick or cast-iron pan. Stir-fry the tofu cubes over medium-high warmth till they’re golden-brown. Take away to a plate.
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To the identical wok, add the remaining tablespoon oil. Flip the warmth to excessive and when the oil shimmers, add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds launch their aroma, which ought to take no quite a lot of seconds on excessive warmth, add the onions and bell peppers to the wok together with the bottom black pepper, floor coriander and paprika.
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Combine and proceed to stir-fry over excessive warmth for a few minutes till the bell peppers are tender however have a superb chunk. Add the tofu cubes to the wok together with the child corn.
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Make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch and ½ cup water till there aren’t any lumps. Add the slurry to the wok together with the soy sauce or tamari. Combine nicely.
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Stir fry the chilli tofu for a pair extra minutes, stir within the scallions, and add extra salt if wanted. Garnish with cilantro and serve sizzling.
Diet
Energy: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 8g | Fats: 7g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 2g | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 301IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg
