Tofu with Spicy Garlic Sauce (Szechuan Yu Xiang-Inspired)

Step 1

You can see the step-by-step images on how to prepare this dish in the blog post above.

Step 2

Dry the tofu. I wrap the tofu in towels and place a plate on top of it until excess liquid is absorbed by the towels. You can also opt to use a tofu press. Once dry, cut into 1-inch strips or cubes (any shape is fine!)

Step 3

Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Step 4

Heat a large pan or wok over high heat. Add enough oil to coat the surface of the pan or complete submerge the tofu. You can opt to deep-fry or pan-fry your tofu until crisp. If you’re looking to use less oil, you can opt to bake or air-fry your tofu and just spray/brush some oil to coat the tofu.

Step 5

When the oil is hot, add in the tofu. The tofu should immediately sizzle when you add them in the oil.

Step 6

Leave the tofu to cook over medium high until golden brown, around 4 to 5 minutes. You may beed to flip them over if you’re pan-frying them. Repeat until all the sides are golden brown and crisp.

Step 7

Remove the tofu from the oil then set aside. Drain the excess oil form the pan. I have this oil container with a strainer on top that I use to store my oil. Since tofu are very neutral, I can still use this oil for another 1-2 times. Transfer your tofu to a bowl.

Step 8

In the same pan/wok or a smaller sauce pan, heat 2 tbsp neutral oil over medium high heat. Once hot, sauté the ginger and garlic. Once aromatic, around 1 minute, add in the chili flakes/powder and mix into the oil. Pour in the sauce and then leave to simmer to a boil. Once it boils, add in the chopped scallions.

Step 9

Turn off the heat and immediately pour the sizzling hot sauce over your tofu. Finish your tofu with more chopped scallions and chopped cilantro. Mix well and allow the tofu to soak in the sauce and the flavours.

Step 10

Enjoy your tofu wit rice or noodles! I also love using the excess sauce to pour over some boiled noodles.