Taiwanese Three Cup Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 package (396 g) medium-firm tofu, frozen and thawed
- wet batter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup oat milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- seasoning flour
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- three cup sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine
- 1 bunch basil, leaves only
Preparation
Today we’re working with medium-firm tofu that has been frozen, completely thawed, frozen again, and completely thawed again
Press the tofu (for at least 15 minutes) either with a tofu press or a heavy object to squeeze out extra liquid
Be careful not to press too hard as the tofu is very brittle at this stage
Using your fingers, gently pull apart the tofu into nugget-sized pieces
Set them aside
Prepare the wet batter
Simply combine all the dry ingredients, add the non-dairy milk, and give it a good whisk
Make sure that the batter is well combined and that there are little to no lumps
Prepare the seasoning flour by mixing all the ingredients as well
To batter the tofu pieces, dip them first into the wet batter, then into the seasoning flour
Pack the flour in very well!
Now onto the frying process — heat up a good amount of vegetable oil until around 180c/360f (or use the chopstick test*)
Remember to prepare a sheet pan lined with paper towel before frying
Once everything is ready, fry the tofu pieces until both each piece is entirely golden-brown
When the tofu is done, take them out of the oil to drain on the paper towel
In a small-medium sized pan, heat up the sesame oil on medium heat and fry the garlic & ginger until aromatic, around 1-2 minutes
Then, add the brown sugar, soy sauce, and rice wine and reduce until the sauce has a coating consistency
Add the fried tofu back into the pan and coat them completely with the three cup sauce
Finally, take off the heat and add the basil leaves to wilt them in the residual heat
