preview for I Went Through Two Jars Of Chili Crisp This Week Making This Fried Tofu

Chili crisp is the MVP in the flavor bomb pantry, and it’s back to prove it again with this chili crisp fried tofu. Featuring a vibrant spicy-sweet sauce made with just four pantry ingredients, this crispy fried tofu is waiting to make your weeknight dinner a little more exciting.

Prepping the tofu:
Extra-firm is the best type of tofu for this recipe. While some people press their tofu to remove the excess liquid, I prefer to use the boiling water method. It seems counterintuitive, but pouring boiling water over the cubed tofu causes the proteins in the tofu to contract, expelling the water it’s holding inside. As a bonus, I also like to season the boiling water heavily—just like you would pasta water—so that the tofu is also seasoned as it soaks. After 20 minutes, simply remove the tofu cubes from the water, blot them dry, and continue with tossing it in the cornstarch and frying.

The chili crisp sauce:
Every brand of chili crisp is different, so make sure to use a brand you love (I highly recommend Fly by Jing). Since spice levels can vary across brands, I also recommend tasting the chili crisp before adding it to the sauce. If it seems on the SUPER-spicy side, add 1 Tbsp. to the sauce, check the flavor, and amp up the heat by adding 1 tsp. at a time, until you’ve reached your desired spice level. Also, for the best sauce consistency, try to scoop out mostly the “crisp” part of the chili crisp when measuring it out of the jar; incorporating too much of the oil will make the sauce greasy.

This dish is basically vegan, with the exception (possibly) of the honey. I’ve known many vegans who eat honey, but if you’d prefer to avoid it (for whatever reason!), feel free to substitute agave. The sauce may not be quite as thick as with the honey, but it will still be delicious.

Storage:
This tofu is at its crispy best when it’s fresh, but any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up 3 days. The cornstarch coating will get soggy as it sits, but it will still taste great!

chili crisp fried tofu in a bowl on top of rice topped with scallionspinterest

PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: SAM SENEVIRATNE


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