Tofu Kung Pao
There isn’t much to say about this recipe, except that it has been with me since my student days and always brings me joy. It’s quick and easy enough for a weekday dinner, but also delicious and elaborate enough to make you feel like you’re really cooking. Like almost all dishes, it tastes best straight from the pan, of course, but it’s also great for meal prep. If you want to keep it low carb, you can leave out the rice and use more of the other ingredients.
2
servings15
minutes15
minutes30
minutesIngredients
1/2 1/2 chilli
200 g 200 tofu
10 g 10 ginger
2 2 spring onions
1 1 pepper
30 g 30 roasted peanuts
1 tbsp 1 rice vinegar
1 tbsp 1 corn starch
2 tbsp 2 oil (peanut or other vegetable oil)
4 tbsp 4 soy sauce
1 tsp 1 honey
1 clove 1 garlic
Rice to your liking
Directions
- If you have a tofu press, press the tofu. If not, pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut the tofu into cubes. Mix with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and leave to marinate.
- Wash the spring onions and cut them into pieces approx. 2–3 cm long. Wash the pepper, remove the seeds and cut it into small cubes. Wash the chilli, cut it in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Then cut it into half rings.
- Peel the ginger. Tip: this works very well with a teaspoon. Then chop finely or cut into small cubes. Peel and finely dice the garlic.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of oil for the sauce.
- Drain the marinated tofu and coat in 1 tablespoon of corn starch.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the tofu until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. Now is the time to prepare the rice as usual.
- The next steps only take about 5 minutes. It is important not to leave the vegetables in the pan for too long so that they remain crisp. Therefore, now is the time to prepare the rice as usual.
- While the rice is cooking, add the peanuts, peppers, spring onions and chilli to the pan and fry on a high heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add the ginger and garlic and fry briefly on a reduced heat.
- Return the tofu to the pan, add the sauce and mix everything well.
- Serve promptly with the rice. If you like (I don’t), you can garnish the dish with fresh coriander.
Equipment
- Frying pan or wok
- Tofu press (optional)
- Saucepan for the rice
Notes
- It is important not to leave the vegetables in the pan for too long so that they remain crisp.
- If you like (I don’t), you can garnish the dish with fresh coriander.
- Great for meal prep.