Salt and Pepper Tofu
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main Entrée
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 14oz/397g block of extra firm firm tofu
  • plenty of oil (of choice)
  • salt
  • black and white pepper
  • coriander leaves/cilantro
  • heaped teaspoon of black bean sauce
  • ~10oz/283g noodles of choice (egg, udon, etc)
Plus a selection of stir fry veggies:
  • shredded carrots
  • snow peas
  • water chestnuts
  • broccoli
  • peppers
  • leeks or green onions
  • Chinese greens (bok choi, etc)
Instructions
  1. Drain the tofu and pat try as far as possible with a paper towel. Then cut into either 1-2cm cubes or 1cm thick rectangles.
  2. Season the wok by spraying it lightly with cooking spray and heat it until warmed/just smoking. Then add the cooking oil.
  3. Turn heat down slightly and CAREFULLY put the tofu into the hot oil with a spatula or a spoon with a long handle. Dust with salt and pepper and let it fry for 3-5 minutes.
  4. Stir/flip the pieces of tofu around, dust with salt and peppers again. Continue flipping and dusting until the tofu is golden on all sides - about 15-20min total.
  5. Meanwhile, boil water and cook the noodles according to package directions and chop/slice/shred the vegetables.
  6. Remove the tofu with a slotted spoon or spatula and place in a bowl on a piece of paper towel to drain the excess oil.
  7. Remove wok from the heat and add the black bean sauce to the leftover oil. Stir, dump in all the vegetables and return to the heat, stirring repeatedly for another 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked to your preferred tenderness.
  8. To plate, pile the noodles first, followed by the veggies and then top with the tofu and some chopped coriander/cilantro.
Notes
You can cut down on the cooking time for the tofu by draining and pressing it (tofu usually comes in water). Do this by draining the packaging, wrap the tofu in paper towels and place between two chopping boards or plates with a heavy object on top. Sit like this for 10 minutes and you should be able to cut the cooking time in half (but then, you had to wait for this part).
Recipe by OntheFly Recipes at https://www.ontheflyrecipes.com/2018/01/salt-and-pepper-tofu/