Recipe Spicy braised tofu & tomato

[Morning Glory]

A little influenced by Vietnamese or Korean dishes, sweet tangy tomatoes and spicy hot and sour flavours combine to transform tofu into a lively, low fat dish. Adding honey is optional. I prefer it without, but it depends on your taste. If you can’t take the heat, then simply cut down on the chilli powder. Serve with plain boiled rice.

Ingredients (serves 2)
300g firm tofu
1 tbsp cornflour (plus 1 tsp to thicken the sauce later)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 fat cloves of garlic, slivered
1 fat thumb of ginger, finely sliced
3 spring onions (scallions), sliced diagonally
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp rice vinegar
½ tbsp fish sauce
½ tbsp gochugaru (or other chilli flakes)
½ tsp hot chilli powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
150ml water
½ tbsp honey (optional)
130g baby tomatoes, halved
Toasted sesame seeds to sprinkle

Method

1. Slice the tofu into six even pieces and pat dry with kitchen paper.
2. Sprinkle cornflour onto a plate, add the tofu slices and turn until coated on both sides.
3. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the tofu slices on each side until golden brown. Set the tofu aside.
4. Add the garlic slivers and sliced ginger to the pan and fry until lightly golden.
5. Add sliced white parts of the spring onion. Reserve the green parts to garnish.
6. Add soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, fish sauce, gochugaru, chilli powder, black pepper and water to the pan.
7. Heat gently until the sauce slightly reduced. Taste and add the honey, if desired.
8. Mix the tsp of cornflour with a little cold water and add the the sauce. Heat through until the sauce thickens.
9. Add the tofu slices and heat through then add the halved baby tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften.
10. To serve, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and the reserved sliced spring onion.

 

[garlichead]

Cane sugar is a good substitute. Normally these recipes do need a little sugar for balance, and not necessarily to balance heat. Love the recipe but I don't use tofu so it would be another protein.

 

[Morning Glory]

I don't use tofu so it would be another protein.

Yeah. I'm banking on this recipe not having any hope of winning the current challenge due to widespread tofu prejudice. Chicken might work instead here.