Kung Pao Tofu
The purpose of my site is to get people excited about ethnic cooking. Chinese food is hands down my favorite ethnicity to cook. This recipe is what excites me. Better than restaurant quality Kung Pao tofu. Twice the amount that you would get for takeout for less then half the price. Once you have certain ingredients in your pantry such as soy sauce, chinkiang black vinegar, and shaoxing cooking wine, you can make these dishes for a fraction of restaurant prices; plus control over sodium, fat content, and whether it will be vegetarian or not.The best type of tofu to use for this dish is firm or extra firm. You don’t have to squeeze out the liquid when preparing this dish, since it’s going to sit in a marinade for 15 minutes anyway. The cornstarch will help create a nice crust when you sauté it. The most important thing when sautéing the tofu is to not move it. Let it be and develop that crust. Same when you flip them. Don’t touch it. Crust is good. If you’d rather use meat instead of tofu, marinate and toss in cornstarch the same way you did the tofu. You can use beef, pork, chicken, or shrimp as substitutes.
Ingredients
Tofu Marinade
- 1 brick extra firm tofu cut into 1” cubes
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 6 tbsp cornstarch
Kung Pao Sauce
- 3 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Kung Pao Tofu
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 2 tsp fermented bean paste
- 5 dried chilies
- 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 4 green onions cut into 1” pieces
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Mix all of the sauce ingredients together. Set aside.
- Mix together the soy sauce and maple syrup. Pour in a ziplock bag with the tofu cubes. Marinate for 15 minutes.
- Pour out the marinade. Toss the tofu with cornstarch in a bowl.
- Heat up 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a large sauté pan or wok over medium high heat. Add in the tofu in a single layer. Let fry for 2 minutes without moving. Flip them over with a pair of tongs at let fry for 2 minutes on the other side.
- Set the tofu aside.
- Add in the last tbsp of cooking oil. Stir in the Sichuan peppercorns. Let cook for a minute until the oil smells aromatic. Discard the peppercorns.
- Sauté the garlic, ginger, bean paste, and dried chilies for 1 minute.
- Stir in the peppers and green onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the sauce. Give it a couple of stirs. It will thicken fairly quick.
- Stir in the tofu and the peanuts. Cook for 1 minute, then take off the heat.
- Serve with steamed rice.
