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General Tso's Tofu
This is our plant-based take on the classic Chinese takeaway dish, General Tso’s Chicken. It’s
named after Qing dynasty statesman and military leader, Tso Tsung-t’ang, though no one knows
why as it seems unlikely that he ever tasted the dish, which is a shame because it’s delicious!
Crispy, sticky and sweet, this is tofu at its finest. For an extra nutty flavour, you could toast the
sesame seeds briefly in a dry pan before sprinkling over the dish.
This recipe is super budget-friendly as it's from our latest book BOSH! On A Budget.
Before you start
Non-stick frying pan • Medium saucepan with a lid • Plate lined with kitchen paper
Ingredients
- 280g plain firm tofu
- 3 tbsp tamari soy sauce
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp cornflour
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
For the jasmine rice
- 150g jasmine rice
- 300ml cold water
- 1 jasmine tea bag or jasmine flower
- 1 star anise
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
For the sauce
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp cane, coconut or brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese vinegar
To serve
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp dried Szechuan chillies or chilli flakes
- handful of fresh chives
Method
-
1.
Marinate the tofu • Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes and put it in a bowl with the soy sauce and apple cider vinegar • Toss to coat • Set aside for 10 minutes
-
2.
Meanwhile, make the jasmine rice • Rinse the rice under cold water for 1 minute • Tip into the saucepan and pour over the water • Add the tea bag or jasmine flower, star anise and salt • Cover and bring to the boil
• Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and leave covered for about 12 minutes while you fry the tofu -
3.
Fry the tofu • Drain the tofu, setting the marinade aside for the sauce • Put the tofu in a clean bowl with the cornflour and toss to coat • Place the frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil •
Fry the cubes in the hot oil until golden brown, then transfer to the plate lined with kitchen paper • Turn off the heat and leave the hot oil in the pan -
4.
Make the sauce • Peel and finely slice the garlic and add it to the tofu oil in the pan (it should sizzle and start to go brown) • Measure all the other sauce ingredients into a bowl • Pour in the leftover marinade
• Whisk until smooth • Spoon a couple of large spoonfuls of starchy water from the top of the rice pan into the bowl • Turn the heat on to medium and pour in the sauce • Stir until it starts to thicken • Toss in the tofu and stir to coat -
5.
Serve • Fluff up the cooked rice with a fork and spoon it into bowls • Top with the tofu • Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and dried Szechuan chillies or chilli flakes, snip over the chives and serve
