Cubes of tofu in a crisp cornflour shell, tossed with charred peppers, onion, garlic and a salty-peppery seasoning. The takeaway classic, vegan and coeliac-safe.
Prep
25 mins
Cook
15 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£1.28
Difficulty
medium
The coating is nothing but cornflour and seasoning, which fries up glassy and stays crisp far longer than a wheat batter would. Pressing the tofu properly is the only step that takes patience.
Press the tofu between two boards with a weight on top for 20 minutes, then pat completely dry and cut into cubes.
Wet tofu spits in hot oil and never crisps - this is the step that decides the dish.
Mix the cornflour with half the salt, half the white pepper and half the five-spice. Toss the tofu through it until every face is dusty.
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to about 180C. Fry the tofu in two batches for 4-5 minutes per batch, turning, until pale gold and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the oil out of the pan. Turn the heat high and stir-fry the peppers and onion for 3 minutes until blistered but still crunchy.
Add the garlic, chillies and spring onions and fry for 45 seconds.
Return the tofu, scatter over the remaining salt, white pepper and five-spice and toss hard for 30 seconds so the seasoning coats everything.
Serve straight away, with rice if you want to make more of a meal of it.