Crispy Tofu Kung Pao
Chinese Take-Away just got a lot cheaper and healthier! Kung Pao is one of our Chinese Restaurant favourites, and it's just so simple to make at home using simple ingredients! Whilst this dish works very well with chicken, we decided to go for an all-plant alternative! We're convinced that once you taste this Crunchy Tofu Kung Pao, you will see Tofu in a whole different light!
Ingredients
- 200 g tofu firm or extra firm
- 2½ tbsp cornflour 2 tablespoon for tofu and ½ tablespoon for sauce
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- oil for frying
- 1 carrot chopped intp ½cm cubes
- 1 bell pepper cut into bite-size pieces
- 25 g root ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar or runny honey if not vegan
- 1 red chilli deseeded and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 6 tbsp water
- 30 g salted roasted peanuts
- 1 spring onion sliced diagonally
Instructions
- Thirty minutes before cooking, drain your tofu and wrap it in a clean tea towel. Put something heavy on top and leave pressed down for half an hour to get rid of any excess moisture.
- When ready to cook, bread tofu into small pieces with your hands (or cut into cubes). In a large bowl, mix 2 tablespoon of cornflour, a pinch of salt and chilli powder. Tip the tofu into the cornflour mixture and make sure it's thoroughly coated.
- Heat a generous glug of oil in a frying pan. Fry your tofu for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy. When done, transfer onto a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
- In the meantime, on high heat, stir-fry your vegetables in a separate frying pan with a little oil, until slightly browned, slightly softened but still retaining most of the crunch. It should take about 5 minutes.
- To make the sauce, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a small pan and add garlic and ginger. Fry for 1-2 minutes, then stir in a tablespoon of agave nectar (or honey) and add sliced chilli. Reduce the heat to the minimum. In a small bowl, mix ½ tablespoon of cornflour, 6 tablespoon of water, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and 2 tablespoon of soy sauce. Tip into the saucepan and stir until thickened. This is your Kung Pao Sauce. Add more water to loosen if required.
- Tip the sauce, crispy tofu and peanuts into the vegetables and stir. Serve scaterred with spring onions with a side of boiled white rice.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 305kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 17gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 1123mgPotassium: 539mgFiber: 6gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 7529IUVitamin C: 114mgCalcium: 173mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!