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Fried Tofu with Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 pound soft tofu
  • neutral oil for frying

Dipping Sauce

  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed or grated
  • 1 tablespoon ginger root, grated
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Dry Batter

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon white ground pepper

Wet Batter

  • ⅓ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup cold water
  • ¼ cup vodka

Instructions

Prepare tofu

  • Cut tofu into ½-inch slices.
  • Place paper towels or hand towels on cutting board.
  • Place tofu slices on towels.
  • Cover with more towels.
  • Place second cutting board on top.
  • Place weights on top of second cutting board, such as a stack of heavy books.
  • Press 15-20 minutes.

Prepare dipping sauce

  • While tofu is being pressed, prepare dipping sauce by mixing together all ingredients.

Prepare dry batter

  • In a shallow bowl, combine 3 tablespoons cornstarch and ground white pepper.

Prepare wet batter

  • In small or medium bowl, combine dry ingredients: ⅓ cup cornstarch, baking powder, all-purpose flour, and kosher salt.
  • Add cold water and vodka.
  • Mix thoroughly until batter is smooth.

Cook tofu

  • Remove tofu from press.
  • Cut tofu into bite-sized pieces, about 1 inch square.
  • In heavy-bottomed pan, add about 1 ½ inches of oil.
  • Heat oil to 400-450° F.
  • One at a time, roll pieces of tofu in dry batter until all sides are evenly covered. Rolling one at a time keeps dry batter from becoming stickly. Covering with dry batter helps wet batter stick to tofu.
  • Dip tofu pieces into water batter and cover evenly.
  • Lift tofu pieces to remove excess batter.
  • Carefully place battered tofu into a oil, cooking a few pieces at a time.
  • Cook tofu pieces until crispy, 3-4 minutes.
  • Remove tofu pieces from oil and rest them on towel-lined wire rack to drain.
  • Serve with dipping sauce.