Whether you are craving a take-out dinner or looking for a tasty meal that require less ingredients and time in the kitchen, let this be (one of) your go-to recipes. A tasty tofu dish that is crispy, saucy, sticky, savory, and sweet. All you need is 35-minutes or less.
I’m a total sucker for a crispy tofu dish. Or any tofu dish, really. And this recipe is something I would make often for easy dinners or when I just want to a comforting meal. Eaten fresh over steam of white rice. Oh dear! Now that is a winner.
For this particular recipe, I did not want to over complicate the ingredients to maximize the flavor. It does not need much and you can use up ingredients that you (most likely) already have from home. Often times, a vegan Mongolian recipe calls for a “beef” substitute such seitan (or a meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten) or another type of mock meat. I’ve tested the options, and honestly, the texture of tofu and how it absorbs more flavor is way better than any “meat” substitutes. Plus, it’s way more accessible and affordable compared to vegan specialty products.
Still iffy about using tofu? Learn how to prepare crispy tofu to get an amazing texture out of this or more flavor, you may visit my previous recipe here.
While it may look intimidating to make because it requires coating or creating a sauce from scratch, it is very simple. The best part of this recipe is, if you do decide to switch it up, you can always use the sauce or method of frying tofu with other dishes too – with noodles, other meat substitutes, or any stir fry.
Get creative in the kitchen and start making this dish tonight. It will be worth it.
Mongolian Crispy Tofu
Equipment
- cast iron or frying pan
- mixing bowl (small & medium)
- whisk
Ingredients
FOR THE TOFU
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 1 cup (120g) corn starch
- salt & pepper
- ¼ cup (59ml) neutral flavored oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ small yellow onion minced
- 2 stalks green onions chopped
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
FOR THE SAUCE
- ⅓ cup (78ml) low sodium tamari (or low sodium soy sauce)
- ½ cup (118ml) water
- ¼ cup (49g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce (or any hot pepper paste)
- 1 tbsp corn starch
Instructions
FOR THE SAUCE
- Create a corn starch slur by mixing water and cornstarch on a small mixing bowl. Whisk until corn starch has fully dissolved.
- Mix the rest of the sauce ingredients together and whisk. Set aside.
FOR THE TOFU
- Gently press unecessary liquids of the tofu but be careful not to break it. Drain the liquids. And slice into equal pieces and pat dry.
- Prepare a mixing bowl of the dry ingredients; the corn starch and a sprinkle of salt & pepper.
- Preheat a cast iron or a non-stick frying pan to medium heat. Evenly coat the skillet with oil.
- Coat each tofu fully with corn starch and fry on the skillet on each side until it is golden brown. You may or may not have to do this in batches depending on the size of your skillet. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Once all the tofu have been fried, set on a cooling rack to strain any excess oil. Leaving your skillet on, sauté the garlic and onions until fragrant. Add the tofu back into the skillet and mix with the onions and garlic.
- Pour the sauce little by little with the tofu mixture. And mix with the tofu evenly. Lower down the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer so that it may thicken. Let the tofu absorb the sauce and leave alone for about a minute.
- You will know that the tofu is done when sauce is stickier and absorbed. Turn off heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds and garnish with the green onions.
- Best served immediately and with rice. Enjoy!