Black Pepper Tofu (VIDEO)
My Black Pepper Tofu is for those who love the flavors of Black Pepper Chicken or Black Pepper Beef but want to use tofu as the main protein! The tofu is dredged and fried until crispy, and then tossed in the delicious Black Pepper sauce!
Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb firm tofu
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 cup potato starch
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
Black Pepper Sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- ½ tbsp black pepper coarsely ground
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- ¼ tsp msg
- ½ tbsp cornstarch
Other Ingredients
- ½ cup neutral oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 3 stalks celery cut at an angle into ½ slices
- 1 small onion sliced
Instructions
- Using paper or kitchen towels, press and drain the tofu to remove any excess moisture. Break the tofu into 1-inch pieces and place them in a bowl.
- Season the tofu with soy sauce, white pepper and sesame oil, then mix until combined and the tofu has absorbed the seasonings. Add the potato and corn starch to the tofu pieces and mix until well coated.
- In a small bowl, mix oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, light and dark soy sauce, black pepper, sugar, stock, msg, and cornstarch.
- In a large pan or wok, heat the neutral oil over medium high heat to 400F. Add the half of the tofu pieces and fry for 3-5 minutes, flipping occasionally until all sides of the tofu pieces are crispy. Remove the tofu to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the frying process with the remaining tofu pieces. Turn off the heat. Strain the tofu from the oil to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Remove all but 2 tbsp of oil from the pan.
- Heat the pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for 15 seconds until fragrant. Add the celery and onion and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until the vegetables are slightly browned. Add the tofu and sauce, stirring to combine until the tofu and vegetables are coated and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve the tofu over white rice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tips:
Drain as much water from the tofu as possible. I even like to place a heavy object like a pan over the covered tofu to press out more water. You can see how much water I pressed out of the tofu in the video!
Ripping the tofu by hand allows for uneven edges to form in the tofu. These irregular edges create craggily bits in the tofu and create extra texture when fried!
Ensure the tofu pieces are evenly coated in the potato starch and corn starch mixture and that there are no bald spots. This will ensure the tofu pieces turn out crispy.
Adding the cornstarch with the sauce will allow it to thicken up as it cooks, saving you a step from having to make a cornstarch slurry. I prefer this method as it is more efficient!
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1080mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 2mg
