Vegan Tokwa’t Baboy (Filipino Fried Tofu and Pork)

Step 1

Press your tofu: Drain excess liquid from the tofu. I do this by wrapping the tofu with paper towels and placing a flat weighted surface on top to squeeze out excess liquid. Slice tofu into 3/4 - 1 inch thick cubes.

Step 2

Soak your soy chunks: place the dry soy chunks in a large bowl. Pour boiling hot water and then cover the bowl. Leave to rehydrate for at least 10 minutes.Remove from the water and then squeeze out the excess liquid. You can also opt to slice the soy chunks into half so these can be the same size as the tofu cubes.

Step 3

Prepare the sauce: Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl until the sugar is diluted. Feel free to adjust to your taste.

Step 4

Cook the tofu & soy chunks: Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add in enough oil to submerge the tofu cubes. The tofu should immediately sizzle when placed in the hot oil. Once hot, add in the tofu cubes (you may need to do this in batches depending on the size of the pan) and fry until golden brown and crisp on all sides.Fry the soy chunks until golden brown and crisp as well.

Step 5

Serve and enjoy the tokwa’t baboy: Once golden brown and crisp, drain the tofu & soy chunks from any excess oil. Transfer these into the bowl of sauce. Mix well until well incorporated. Leave for a few minutes so the tofu can absorb the flavours. This is actually best enjoyed once the tofu has soaked up all the flavours. Enjoy with some rice or as is!

Step 6

Pan-frying or baking option: You can opt to pan-fry the tofu in less oil until golden brown and crisp. If baking, heat an oven to 350F. Brush the tofu with some oil and leave to bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and crisp, flipping halfway through.