Crispy tofu chunks and vegetables are glazed in a delectable, sweet and spicy vegan General Tso’s sauce, that’s so much better than take-out Chinese.
Recipe tips:
Pressing the tofu:
There are two tricks to getting the crispiest tofu possible. The first is to drain the tofu of any extra liquid. Typically, the firmer the tofu the less watery it will be. For this recipe I use firm, or super firm tofu, and press before cooking. You can drain the tofu ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Wrap the block of tofu in a clean kitchen towel, or paper towel, then put it on a large plate with a lip.
- Place something heavy such as a frying pan on top, I use a cast iron skillet, and leave for 30 mins to drain.
Coating the tofu:
Coating the tofu in a bit of cornstarch results in very crisp, delicious tofu. If you don’t have or want to use cornstarch, rice flour will also result in very crunchy tofu.
Enjoy!
General Tso’s Crispy Tofu
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 105kcal
Crispy tofu chunks and vegetables in a delectable sweet and spicy vegan General Tso's sauce.
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Ingredients
For the Crispy Tofu:
- 1 16 oz block cut into into ½ inch cubes
- ¼ Tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil for cooking the tofu
For the Sauce:
- ½ onion thinly sliced
- ½ red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch piece of ginger finely minced
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Gochujang chili paste or Sriracha or to taste
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- ¼ cup water
- 2 stalks green onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
Instructions
- Press the tofu to drain any excess liquid, which will help to make the tofu super crisp when it cooks.
- Add the cornstarch, salt and pepper to a shallow dish. Toss the tofu cubes in the cornstarch to coat.
- Heat the oil over medium high heat. Cook the tofu cubes until golden on all sides. Don't crowd the tofu in the pan because it will steam and will not be as crispy as possible. If necessary cook the tofu chunks in two batches.Set aside.
For the General Tso's Sauce:
- Add the sliced onions, peppers and mushrooms to the pan you cooked the tofu in. Cook over medium heat until golden. Add in the garlic and the ginger and cook for a couple more minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, add the soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, hot sauce, water and 2 teaspoons cornstarch to a bowl and mix.When the vegetables are ready, pour the sauce ingredients into the pan and stir for 4-5 minutes until the sauce is thickened.
- Return the crispy tofu to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce.
- Sprinkle with sliced scallions and hemp seeds. Serve over rice and steamed broccoli.
Notes
Nutrition facts are for the tofu and sauce only. The rice and steamed broccoli are not included.
Nutrition
Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 0.03mg | Sodium: 1121mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 541IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 3mg
