Black Pepper Tofu

Golden fried tofu in a buttery, ferociously peppery sauce with shallots and chillies.

#vegetarian#tofu#black-pepper
Black Pepper Tofu
Servings
4
Total Time50 minutes
Prep20 minutes
Cook30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 400g firm tofu, cut into 3×2cm cubes
  • cornflour, for dusting
  • vegetable oil, for frying
  • 75g butter
  • 175g (6 small) shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4 fresh red chillies (mild), thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1½ tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 1½ tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
  • 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 2½ tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
  • 8 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths

Directions

  1. Heat 5mm of vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over high. Working in batches, dust tofu cubes in cornflour, shake off excess, and fry, turning, until golden all over and lightly crusted. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
  2. Wipe out the pan and melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots, chillies, garlic, and ginger. Sauté over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and glossy, about 15 minutes.
  3. Add soy sauces and sugar; stir to combine. Add peppercorns and stir.
  4. Add tofu and toss to coat for 1 minute, until warmed through.
  5. Stir in spring onions and serve with steamed rice.

Notes

  • Kecap manis: Indonesian sweet soy sauce — if unavailable, sub 1½ tbsp soy sauce mixed with 1½ tsp brown sugar.
  • Heat: Seed the chillies or reduce to 2 for a milder dish.
  • Tofu: Extra-firm tofu holds up best; press for 20–30 minutes if very wet.