Thursday, September 4, 2008

General Tso's Tofu (second attempt)

One of my culinary goals is to perfect a General Tso's tofu recipe. It's one of Dylan's favorite take-out dishes and something I really enjoy. My first attempt was loosely based off this recipe, my second off of this. I didn't snap any pictures before we ate everything, but next time I definitely will. The results this time were better than my first- I made sure the oil was hotter (350 degrees) when I added the battered tofu, and allowed the sauce to warm (instead of thicken) before adding the tofu so it was coated better.
I'll post the recipe I used last night- but will made some adjustments next time. If you have any suggestions or feedback from your own experiences please share!

General Tso's Tofu v2.0

1 block extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed

Batter

2 eggs

1/3 cup cornstarch

Sauce
3 Tb rice vinegar
3 Tb brown sugar
3 Tb soy sauce
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
1 minced garlic clove
2 tsp cornstarch
red pepper flakes to taste

While about 2 inches of oil (I used canola) are heating in a deep saucepan, whisk egg and cornstarch together and add cubed tofu. Hand-toss to coat. Add pieces slowly to the hot oil and fry until brown and crispy. Heat another skillet with a little bit of oil, when tofu is done, add the sauce to the skillet and immediately add tofu, shake/stir/flip around to coat tofu. Dylan likes his tofu plain, I like to add steamed broccoli, carrots, and green onions.

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