Indo-Chinese Style Chili Tofu
Indo-Chinese Style Chili Tofu
I’m really excited about this one – The Happy Haandi’s new Indo-Chinese Style Chili Tofu recipe.
If you were an Indian kid, like me growing up, one of the best appetizers you could get at a way-too-long Indian wedding, was the chili chicken appetizer. Crisp fried chicken tossed in a spicy but tangy sauce and served with some sautéed peppers and onions. It was the start of Cocktail Hour and even though I was too little to drink, the chili chicken went down so well after what felt like the super long ceremony (really it was just 2 hours).
This Indo-Chinese Style Chili Tofu is all that amazing chicken chili flavor packed onto some well-crisped tofu! I love this variant (though the original is always amazing) for feeling a little lighter without suffering on the flavor profile. The sauce was on point and I used one of my favorite food bloggers, Swasthi’s Recipes, to nail the sauce down. Swasthi does a great job of fine-tuning the sauce mixture so it adds just the right amount for the dish to feel saucy without becoming overwhelming.
Definitely give this one a try! While I technically slated it as an appetizer, this recipe can be easily adapted into a full meal with some rice!
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pictures of your creations on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok! Hashtag them #thehappyhaandi. And tag me @thehappyhaandi.
Indo-Chinese Style Chili Tofu
Equipment
- 1 Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Firm Tofu
- 1 Onion (sliced)
- 2 Bell Peppers (sliced)
- 2 Green Onion (chopped)
- 1-2 tsp Cornstarch
For the Sauce:
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce (reduced sodium)
- 2 tbsp Red Chili Sauce
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
For the Tofu Chili:
- To begin, we'll work with the tofu. Remove and drain the tofu and be sure to press for about 30 minutes to ensure it is no longer dripping.
- With your hands, break off bite size chunks from the tofu and add to a clean bowl. The pieces should be irregular in shape but make sure they are roughly the same size.
- To the bowl of tofu, sprinkle in the cornstarch and toss to combine.
- At medium heat, add the oil to a shallow pan, then add the tofu and fry. This may take some time, 15-20, minutes but we're looking for the edges of the tofu to become slightly brown and have a crispy exterior but with a little bounce to each piece.
- While the tofu is frying, add all the ingredients for the sauce into a separate bowl and stir until combined. Set aside.
- Once the tofu is done frying, remove it from the hot pan. Add the onions and peppers to the still hot pan. Fry the vegetables for about 4-5 minutes on high heat. They should be cooked through but still have a little crunch to them.
- Next, reduce the heat, and add the tofu and the sauce to the pan with vegetables in it. Keep a little heat under the pan and stir to coat all the vegetables and tofu with the sauce mixture. Remove from heat.
- Finally, garnish with the spring onions and serve hot!
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