Sichuan Silken Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 cake silken, (about 16 ounces) or soft tofu
- 3 scallions
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar, cider vinegar, or white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil, or vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese chili paste
- 1/2 cup snow peas, sliced, (optional) or frozen green peas
Directions
Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and set aside.Chop the scallions (about 1/2 cup).
In a bowl, whisk the water, cornstarch, salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and vinegar until well blended.
Warm a skillet or saucepan on medium-high heat.
When the pan is hot, add the oil and then the chili paste, sizzle for a few seconds, and then stir in the cornstarch-water mixture.
Stir until the sauce simmers and thickens, about 2 minutes.
Add the chopped scallions and the peas, if using.
Gently stir in the tofu cubes and cook until heated through.
Silken tofu gives this dish a custardy consistency that some of us really like, but its a little bit tricky to work with.
Its slippery and hard to cut into neat cubes, so dont worry if some fall apart.
Soft tofu is a little easier to cut into cubes, and some people prefer the texture.
Serve the tofu on a bed of rice or udon noodles, with Pan-Asian Slaw (page 212) or a steamed green vegetable on the side.