Recipe: Tasty Kung Pao Tofu

Kung Pao Tofu. Kung Pao tofu (宫保豆腐) is an improvised dish from the famous Szechuan cuisine Kung Pao chicken. It is an excellent vegetarian dish for those who do not eat meat but want to appreciate the same flavor of the famed Kung Pao chicken. This recipe is based on the kung pao chicken on this blog, which I published sometimes ago.

This recipe takes a little time to prep, but once everything is ready, it comes together quickly. It's an easy stir fry that would be perfect for a busy weeknight. Kung Pao Tofu, a vegan alternative to the classic Chinese Kung Pao Chicken, made with easy to get ingredients. You can cook Kung Pao Tofu using 14 ingredients and 14 steps. Here is how you achieve that.

Ingredients of Kung Pao Tofu

1. It's 4 clove of Garlic.
2. Prepare 2 of Scallions.
3. You need 1 piece of Ginger.
4. Prepare 1 bunch of Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli).
5. You need 1 packages of Firm Tofu.
6. You need 1/4 cup of Unsalted Roasted Peanuts.
7. Prepare 1 tsp of Szechuan Peppercorns.
8. Prepare 1 cup of White Rice.
9. It's 2 tbsp of Black Vinegar.
10. Prepare 2 tbsp of Soy Sauce.
11. You need 1 tbsp of Cornstarch.
12. It's 2 of Dried Chilis.
13. It's 2 tbsp of Sesame Oil.
14. You need 3/4 cup of water.

It's delicious and better than takeout. This Kung Pao Tofu is a plant-based alternative to Kung Pao Chicken, a stir-fried Chinese dish made with chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers. Kung Pao Tofu is a vegan version developed from Kung Pao Chicken which gets the same popularity with Mapo tofu in worldwide. And surely it is a dish I make from time to time.

Kung Pao Tofu step by step

1. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger..
2. Slice the scallions..
3. Roughly chop the Chinese broccoli..
4. Drain the tofu and cut it into 1-inch cubes, then pat dry with a paper towel..
5. With the side of your knife, smash the Szechuan peppercorns to crack them slightly..
6. Roughly chop the peanuts..
7. Cook the sticky rice in a rice cooker..
8. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a couple teaspoons of oil on high until hot. Add the tofu and cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a plate..
9. While the tofu cooks, make the slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, soy sauce, black vinegar and ¾ cup of water until smooth..
10. In the same pan, heat a couple teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the Chinese broccoliand cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until bright green..
11. Add the scallions, ginger and garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring frequently..
12. Stir in the slurry, sesame oil, whole dried chilis and as much of the Szechuan peppercorns as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined..
13. Stir in the browned tofu and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until thickened and saucy; season with salt and pepper to taste..
14. To plate your dish, divide the rice, tofu and Chinese broccoli between 2 plates, removing the whole dried chilis. Garnish with the chopped peanuts..

Tofu is always considered as a good replacement for meat in many Chinese dishes. Kung pao tofu is a vegetarian version of the famous Sichuan dish, kung pao chicken. With chilis and peanuts, kung pao tofu is a delicious classic. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. What you do is fry up some dried red chilies in sesame oil for two minutes.