Better-Than-Takeout General Tso's Tofu
This General Tso's Tofu is vegan, low-fat, gluten-free and so much better than takeout, you're going to be amazed. Cooks in less than 15 minutes, this easy tofu recipe marries crispy tofu with a sticky, spicy sweet and sour sauce making this your new GO-TO recipe.
Servings: 2
Calories: 567kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- small non-stick fry pan
- large non-stick fry pan
Ingredients
For the Crispy Tofu
- 12 ounce extra firm tofu
- 6 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
For the Sticky Sweet & Sour Sauce
- ½ cup filtered water to make roux
- 2.5 tablespoon corn starch to make roux
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon ginger coarsely grated
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 tablespoon dark maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Serve With
- jasmine rice
- sesame seeds
- fresh lime wedges
- chopped scallions
Instructions
First, Press the Tofu
- Open the package and drain the tofu. Then, using a tofu press, press it for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can wrap in a clean towel or multiple paper towels and place something heavy over it, like a large textbook.
Then Make the Sauce
- Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Whisk and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Be careful not to burn.
- Add maple syrup, tamari, rice vinegar and tomato paste and whisk until ingredients are well-blended.
- Stir roux (cornstarch and water), then add to sauce pan and bring to boil while stirring constantly. Simmer for one minute while continuing to stir, remove from heat and cover. Set aside.
Finally Make the Crispy Tofu
- Once tofu is pressed, cut into cubes.
- Place into large bowl.
- Add cornstarch, olive oil and tamari and combine until tofu is coated evenly.
- Heat tablespoon of oil in large, non-stick fry pan over medium-high heat. Carefully add tofu and fry until your desired level of crispiness is achieved. I fry mine for 10-15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and add the sauce. Toss tofu and sauce together with spatula until all pieces of tofu are evenly coated and the dish is piping hot.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, chopped scallions, lime wedges and red pepper flakes. Serve immediately with jasmine rice or rice noodles.
Notes
- If your tofu isn't as crispy as you expected, you can increase the amount of time tofu spends in the tofu press and/or increase the amount of frying time, being careful not to burn it.
- Agave, or honey (if you're non-vegan) can be used instead of maple syrup.
- Ketchup may be substituted for tomato paste.
- Low-sodium soy sauce can be used instead of tamari if you're not gluten-intolerant.
- Sriracha Hot Chili Paste can be used instead of red pepper flakes.
- To retain it's crispiness, this recipe is best served immediately after cooking. You may store leftover tofu in a separate, airtight container for up to 3 days and re-heat in microwave, but you should expect it to lose some crispiness during the storing and re-heating process.
- If you prefer a thinner sauce, simply add a tablespoon of water at a time, while stirring on low heat and before mixing sauce in with the tofu, until it reaches your desired consistency. Another option is to cut the corn starch in half when making the sauce.
- Recipe can be served with white or brown rice, rice noodles or over a bed of greens for an Asian-inspired salad.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 868mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 663IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 4mg