General Tso’s Tofu

 

Battered and Fried Tofu

1-14oz container of firm or extra firm tofu, press and diced into large squares
1/2 cup corn startch
oil for frying (about 1/4 inch in pan)
salt and pepper

The Sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons of minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (or more if you are adventurous)
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 cup cold water

The Lieutenants

Brown rice
Broccoli – barely steamed so it’s still crisp

Preparation:

Start your rice. The rest of the recipe probably takes about 30 minutes tops, if making brown rice, you might have some time to kill.

Pre-heat your oil over medium heat until a droplet of water sizzled immediately.

Slice the tofu into half inch thick strips. From there I cut into squares, but any shape works. Mix corn starch with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Take each tofu square and coat in corn starch. Put into oil. It will take about 3-5 minutes on each side depending on how hot your oil is. It could take longer, but your oil is probably too hot if it takes less time!

Do a quick steam of your broccoli making sure it is still crisp and not over done.

Next, let’s make the sauce. Combine 2 tablespoons corn starch with 1/2 cup cold water, whisk together. Add garlic, ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and whisk again. Set aside.

When rice is almost done and tofu has browned, combine tofu and broccoli in sauce pan or wok. Add sauce and stir over medium heat. Sauce will quickly thicken — about 3-5 minutes. Serve on top rice.

Enjoy!