General Tso’s tofu with ginger and sesame daikon

Step 1

To make the sauce, whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Step 2

To make the tofu, combine the cornflour and aquafaba in a small bowl to make the batter and season with the sea salt and white pepper. Place the tofu in a bowl, pour over the batter and leave for 2–3 minutes.

Step 3

Fill a deep saucepan with the rapeseed oil. Heat the oil to 180C or until a cube of bread turns golden brown when added for 15 seconds. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Using a pair of heatproof tongs, very gently add in the tofu pieces, one by one, and cook for about 6–7 minutes until golden brown. Carefully transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.

Step 4

To make the stir fry, place the wok over a high heat and, when it starts to smoke, add the rapeseed oil. Add the garlic, dried chillies and red onion and give it a good stir. Add the peppers and stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour in the sauce and cook until the sauce has reduced and has a slightly sticky consistency. Add the spring onions and cauliflower and toss well. Add the fried tofu pieces and gently mix well.

Step 5

Meanwhile, to make the daikon, place the spiralised daikon in a bowl. Cover with water, add the rice vinegar and leave for 15–20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Step 6

To make the dressing, place all of the ingredients in a jar, put on the lid and shake well to combine.

Step 7

Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat, and add a dash of rapeseed oil to the pan. Fry the reserved chickpeas until crispy, then season and set aside on kitchen paper to drain. Toss with the five-spice powder and chilli flakes.

Step 8

Place the baby spinach leaves in a serving bowl. Top with the daikon and then drizzle over the dressing. Scatter over the spring onions, sesame seeds and red chilli.

Step 9

To serve, transfer the tofu mixture to a serving plate, garnish with the peanuts and sprinkle over the black sesame seeds. Serve immediately with the ginger and sesame daikon, crispy chickpeas, spring onion and jasmine rice.