Sichuan Home-Style Tofu with Peppers and Bamboo Shoots
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Crisp fried tofu is tossed through a glossy, chilli-spiked Sichuan-style sauce with peppers, carrot and bamboo shoots for a punchy, savoury stir-fry.
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Method
- 1
Press. Halve 400 g firm tofu lengthways, slice into 2 cm slabs, spread on kitchen paper and leave to dry for 20 minutes.
- 2
Mix. Stir 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp cornflour, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp vegetarian oyster sauce together in a small bowl.
- 3
Fry. Heat the frying oil in a wok to 190°C and fry the tofu in one layer, turning once, until crisp and deep golden, about 10 minutes, then drain on paper, lowering the tofu in carefully away from you.
- 4
Cook. Pour off all but 3 tbsp of the oil, heat until just smoking, then cook the green pepper, carrot and bamboo shoots until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
- 5
Aromatics. Push the vegetables aside and fry the garlic, spring onion whites, ginger and doubanjiang in the gap for 30 seconds, mashing the paste in, then mix through.
- 6
Combine. Add 180 ml water and the tofu, then toss gently for 3-5 minutes so the tofu soaks up some of the liquid.
- 7
Glaze. Stir the sauce back in and toss for 30 seconds until glossy and thickened.
- 8
Serve. Scatter with the sliced spring onion greens and serve with rice.
Storage
Best eaten fresh, but leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat in a hot pan or wok. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- flat-bottomed wok (about 35 cm)
- kitchen paper
- spider or slotted spoon
- digital thermometer
- small bowl
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 257 kcal |
| Protein | 19.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 12.2 g |
| of which sugars | 3.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 1 g |
| Fat | 16.8 g |
| of which saturates | 1.9 g |
| Fibre | 4.4 g |
| Salt | 1.09 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
7.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
