Chili Tofu

Coming at you with a plant-based version of one of the best Indo-Chinese dishes. Chili tofu is saucy, spicy, and easy. Crispy tofu is coated in a tangy, umami-rich sauce and tossed with onions, bell peppers, and baby corn.

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Indo-Chinese food isn’t what it sounds like. Instead of a merger of the two cuisines it’s more about using Chinese ingredients in bold, deeply aromatic cooking that appeals to Indian preferences. Indo-chinese food is huge in India; it began centuries ago when Chinese immigrant communities in Calcutta (now Kolkata) started restaurants, but wanted their food to cater to the preferences of their Indian customers.

Chili tofu is a plant-based riff on chili paneer. Saucy, a little fiery, and made for satisfying cravings quickly. You probably have all the ingredients, except for maybe the baby corn. Baby corn isn’t common in Indo-Chinese food, but it has come to my attention that I don’t buy baby corn enough and I am dedicated to changing that. Baby corn makes everything more fun!

The Rundown

Press to be blessed

Press the tofu and coat it with cornstarch. It’s a little tricky to make tofu crispy without doing so! Place a heavy object on it for at least 15 minutes to get the moisture out. Coat it with cornstarch (or arrowroot starch or tapioca starch) to make sure it crisps right up when pan fried.

Aromatics

One of the cornerstones of Indo-Chinese cuisine is its reliance on hefty doses of aromatics to impart flavors that compliment the umami-rich sauce. Use garlic, ginger, and green chilis, but red chilis are also fine if that’s what you have.

Veggies

Onions and bell peppers.

Sauce

I’ve tried many iterations of this sauce but simple is best. Soy sauce, sriracha or chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar, and a sweetener. I used maple syrup because of its viscosity, but anything works. Indo-Chinese food also commonly features ketchup, but I don’t own ketchup because I almost never need it. So I just used tomato paste!

Chili Tofu

5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Course Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Indo-Chinese
Servings 2 very hungry people or 3-4

Ingredients
  

Tofu

  • 1 14 oz. block of firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil for pan frying

Sauce

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp sriracha *sub chili garlic sauce or another hot sauce
  • ½ tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp maple syrup or other sweetener

Chili Tofu

  • ½ tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 inch ginger, grated
  • 2 small green chilis, minced
  • ½ red onion, layers separated and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ½ green bell pepper
  • ½ red bell pepper
  • 1 14 oz. can of baby corn, drained and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ¼ cup tomato paste ~ 1 medium tomato
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ¼-½ tsp red chili powder *taste and adjust. or omit entirely.
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp water

Instructions
 

  • Press tofu by placing a heavy object on it for 15-30 minutes. Then cut it into 1-inch cubes.
  • Mix cornstarch and salt on a plate. Coat tofu in the mixture.
  • Heat 2 tbsp avocado oil in a pan over medium heat. Pan fry the tofu, flipping each piece when one side becomes crispy. Pan frying should take about 10 minutes total, but continue until the tofu is golden-brown on all sides. Place the tofu on a plate lined with a napkin.
  • While the tofu cooks, chop aromatics and vegetables. Mix ingredients for the sauce in a bowl.
  • To the oil leftover from frying the tofu, add a little sesame oil.
  • Add garlic, ginger, and green chilis. Stir frequently for 2 minutes.
  • Add the onion and cook until it turns slightly translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook until slightly tender, but still crunchy – about 5 minutes. Add baby corn and stir for another few minutes.
  • Add tomato paste and the sauce. Allow it to simmer for a few minute until everything is well-integrated and the bell pepper have softened some more.
  • Finish with a pinch of black pepper. Taste and decide if you want to add red chili powder. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir. If it starts to dry up, add another 1/4-1/2 cup water, a little bit at a time. Add the tofu and cook it all together for 3-4 minutes. 
  • Serve with jasmine rice or noodles!

Notes

*Ok, not just any hot sauce. A hot sauce that would fit the flavor profile of this dish!
Keyword Indian food, Indian recipes, Indo-Chinese recipes, tofu

If you like this chili tofu, you may also like these Indo-Chinese recipes:

Gobhi Manchurian

Burnt Garlic Fried Rice

Vegetable Hakka Noodles

10 comments

  • I can’t believe I made something that tastes so good! Thank you!

  • Great recipe! Flavorful and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

  • 5 stars
    This was amazing! I made it for dinner and my whole family loved it. We ate it with rice and another Thai style dish. Thank you for sharing!

  • YAY! So happy to hear that you liked it! Always love a quick lunch before Zoom class 🙂

  • 5 stars
    I’ve been wanting to make this recipe forever and finally got around to it today– it’s so good!! I love that it’s super flavorful and so quick to make that I can have it for lunch between Zoom classes 🙂

  • That means so much to me, Aunty! Especially coming from a cook as amazing as yourself!

  • 5 stars
    Cannot wait to try another of your scrumptious recipe, it looks delicious. Love to follow your recipes as they are so easy to make, does not include too many ingredients and best of all they are all healthy. I would have never believed anyone, if they told me healthy food taste soooooo good. Have tried so many of your recipes and I love them all. After trying your hummus recipe, I totally fell in love with it. Until then, there was no one in this world who could force me to try hummus. Now I cannot stop myself from trying to put it on almost everything I eat. Thank you!!

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