Pan-Fry
Black Pepper Tofu
- Serves 4
Author Notes
Like many soy foods, tofu (or curd bean) originated in China. Legend talks it was accidentally discovered about 2000 years ago during the Han Dynasty when some cooker curdled soy milk with nigari seaweed. Being a staple food in Thai and Chinese cuisine, tofu has become popular among Western nations ever since the 1960s when there has been a sustained and progressive interest in both healthy eating and vegetarian diets. Indeed, it contains highly digestible protein which is the best meat alternative for vegans. So 30g or a ¼ cup of cooked tofu gives as much protein as 1 oz. of lean meat does. Tofu helps to maintain bone strength by containing substantial amounts of calcium and magnesium. It is also high in potassium which is useful for the heart and vascular system. Like other soy products tofu contains estrogen-like substances called isoflavones, hence tofu-enriched diets may help women to relieve menopausal symptoms to some extent. Cooked tofu is among the foods recommended for consumption while in treatment for some types of cancer.
The recipe can be found here -http://www.mynutricounter.com/black-pepper-tofu/
—Nikki Brown
Ingredients
-
500 grams
firm tofu, cut into cubes
-
1 piece
Vegetable oil for frying
-
15 milliliters
vegetable oil for sauteeing
-
2 teaspoons
cornstarch for the sauce/plus 1 tsp. for dusting
-
50 grams
red pepper, thinly sliced
-
20 grams
ginger, julienne
-
125 milliliters
water
-
30 milliliters
sweet soy sauce
-
30 milliliters
light soy sauce
-
2 teaspoons
palm sugar
-
1 teaspoon
black peppercorns, slightly crushed
-
7 grams
spring onions for garnish
Directions
- Lightly dust tofu with cornstarch, shaking off excess.
- Pan fry in vegetable oil, turning occasionally until golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan.
- Sauté ginger, red pepper, and black peppercorns until aromatic.
- Stir together water, cornstarch, sweet soy sauce, light soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl until free from lumps.
- Pour mixture into the pan and simmer until thick.
- Toss the fried tofu cubes into the sauce until evenly coated.
- Top with chopped spring onions.
- Tip: Tofu may also be baked instead of fried. Expel as much moisture out of tofu blocks by pressing then bake for 30 minutes at 350F, flipping halfway through the cooking time.
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