Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu with Sichuan pepper

Crispy on the bite, yet delicately soft, this pan-fried, Crispy, Salt and Pepper Tofu is incredibly flavourful! Enjoy this Chinese dish as an appetiser, or even as a main dish accompanied with noodles or rice and a few of your favourite sides and vegetables. It’s a dynamic recipe for anyone to try, and as an added benefit, this dish is vegan and gluten-free!

There are so many delicious ways to enjoy tofu in Chinese cooking, one can stir-fry like Kung Pao Tofu, simmer and bake like Baked tofu with garlic ginger or you can even steam it. You can eat it cold or hot depending on the weather, making it such a versatile ingredient which can be enjoyed all year round!

Today, I’m sharing pan-fried salt and pepper tofu. These are coated pieces of firm tofu cubes cooked to a crispy crunch before being sautéed with an aromatic blend of salt, Sichuan pepper, garlic, spring onion and some chillies for extra spice. It has a crunch on the outside and a melt-in mouth smoothness. It’s incredibly flavourful, and fun to serve as an appetiser, side dish, or even as a main.

I love the heat that the chillies give but if you don’t want them that hot, remove the seeds of the chillies and just keep some of them.

A few simple steps to ensure a great dish :

Drain tofu well and cube

The first thing you want to do is open the tofu packet and start draining the tofu. Wrap the tofu block in kitchen towel and leave for approximately 15-20 minutes with some weight on top of the tofu. Cut the tofu into approximately 1″ cubes. Thicker pieces will make a very crispy / soft composition and prevent taste from drying.

Coat with potato starch and pan-fry

In order to get a crispy outside and soft inside, the tofu should be pan-fried.

Prepare a tray/dish with potato starch. If you don’t have potato starch, you can use cornstarch. Add salt, white pepper and Togarashi powder and mix well.

Heat the oil over medium heat, and start dredging tofu in potato starch. Shake off any excess starch and place the tofu in the frying pan. Be patient as you pan-fry the tofu. Try not to keep flipping the tofu. Wait until one side is firmed up and slightly browned before you flip it around to cook on the other side. Cook evenly on all the sides of the tofu.

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Make the salt and pepper mix

Once all sides of the tofu are evenly browned and crisp, remove from the pan and drain. Remove the extra oil, only leave about 1/2 a tbsp in the pan, fry the garlic, green onions, chillies, and Sichuan pepper until aromatic. Add the salt and tofu, switch off the gas. Toss well and serve with a sprinkle of green onions.

Helpful Tips and Tricks To make Salt and Pepper Tofu:

• Sichuan pepper have a numbing and very strong taste so try and use pre grounded one. The fresh one will be too strong.
• Chinese peppercorn salt is mainly peppercorn and salt , so you can use that as well.
• I like my tofu spicy , please add less chilli if you want it mild.
• If you don’t have potato starch you can use cornstarch.
• It is best to coat the tofu right before frying so the tofu doesn’t sit in the starch too long—when it does the tofu starts to release some liquid and dampen the starch, causing it to stick to one another.

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Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu with Sichuan Pepper

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 4 voted )

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Ingredients

• 300 grams firm tofu
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp Sichuan pepper powder  or white pepper
• 1/4 tsp togarashi mix
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

For Salt and Pepper Mix

• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1.5 tbsp chopped garlic
• 3 fresh chillies, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn grounded

method

1. Drain the tofu, wrap it with a paper towel and place it between two baking sheets or plates. Then put a heavy object on top in order to press and drain water from tofu for 20-30 minutes. Discard the water. Alternatively, if you have a tofu press you can use that.
2. Slice the tofu into 1” cubes or other shape of choice. I personally prefer to slice them into large cubes as they turn out much crispier but you can slices them in small 1/2 "pieces, if you would like.
3. In a large bowl or tray, mix the potato starch , salt, pepper, and togarashi mix.
4. You can add around 1/3 of the tofu cubes (depending on the size of your pan/wok) into the potato starch mix. Roll the tofu into the starch until they’re white and well coated well. Dust off excess starch and keep aside for frying. Repeat with remainder of tofu.
5. Heat oil in wok and slowly fry the tofu blocks until crispy and slightly browned.
6. Remove extra oil, only leave around 1 tablespoon of oil in pan, fry garlic until light brown add the green onions and chillies and sauté for a minute. Over high heat add  the tofu and sprinkle salt and Sichuan pepper. Taste the tofu and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately while still hot and crisp.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you did, take a picture and tag me on Instagram at @poetryofspices!