Fried tofu with sweet chili sauce
To ensure that the tofu forms a good crust during frying, don't skip pressing the tofu cake between stacks of paper towels to remove excess moisture.Sprinkling toasted sesame seeds over the cooked dish not only makes it more visually appealing but also adds texture, aroma and flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 one-inch knob ginger
- 1 to 2 bird's eye chilies
- 2 shallots
- 1 small bell pepper any color
- 1 300-gram cake firm tofu
- cooking oil for deep frying
- ½ cup sweet chili sauce I used homemade
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce I used Lee Kum Kee
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 small drizzle sesame seed oil
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon finely sliced scallions
Instructions
- Smash the garlic cloves; shake off and discard the skins. Mince the garlic.
- Peel the ginger and finely chop.
- Thinly slice the bird's eye chilies.
- Peel the shallots and thinly slice.
- Peel and finely slice the shallots.
- Deseed the bell pepper. Finely chop.
- Press the tofu between stacks of paper towels to remove as much water as you can, then cut into bite-size pieces.
- Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan. When fine smoke floats on the surface, slide in the tofu pieces one by one. Cook over high heat until the surface is browned and crisp. Scoop out and drain on a stack of paper towels.
- Pour off the oil leaving only about a tablespoonful.
- Reheat the oil. Saute the shallots, garlic, ginger, chilies and bell pepper with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Pour in the sweet chili sauce and chili garlic sauce. Stir. Taste. Adjust the amount of salt and pepper, if needed.
- Add the fried tofu to the sauce. Stir to coat each piece well. Simmer the tofu in the sauce for a minute.
- Off the heat, drizzle in the sesame seed oil and toss.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and finely sliced scallions before serving.