General Tso's tofu
Cubes of silken tofu are lightly coated with cornstarch, deep fried until a crispy crust forms and tossed in a sweet-salty-spicy sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 block silken tofu (the standard size is about 300 grams)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- cooking oil for frying
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon grated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon grated ginger
- ¾ cup chicken broth unseasoned or lightly seasoned
- salt as needed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
To garnish
- cilantro
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Fry the tofu
- Place the block of tofu between stacks of paper towels, weigh down with a plate and leave for ten minutes.
- Cut the tofu into two-inch cubes.
- Place the cubed tofu in a bowl, add the starch and toss gently to coat every inch of the surface.
- Heat enough cooking oil in a wok to reach a depth of at least an inch and a half (more is better).
- Fry the tofu cubes, turning them over for even frying, until a crispy crust forms on the surface.
- Scoop out the tofu and drain on a rack.
Cook the sauce
- In a clean wok or frying pan, stir together all the ingredients for the sauce.
- Set the heat to medium and cook the sauce, stirring, until thickened and no longer cloudy.
- Set the heat to medium-low and continue cooking the sauce until reduced and thick enough for a canal to form when you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pan.
- Taste the sauce. Depending on whether the chicken broth is unseasoned or lightly seasoned, you may need to add salt to balance with the sweetness.
Assemble the dish
- Dump the fried tofu cubes into the sauce.
- Toss repeatedly until the tofu cubes have soaked up most of the sauce.
- Garnish with cilantro and toasted sesame seeds before serving.
Notes
Inspired by a recipe from The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch.