Hunan-Style Tofu in Hot Sauce
This Hunan-style tofu in hot sauce is a vegan version of my family's go-to order at a local restaurant serving Hunan cuisine: fish fillet in hot sauce. It features pan-fried tofu, bok choy, leeks, and enoki mushrooms in a warm broth with plenty of spice.
Ingredients
- 10 dry red chilis
- 1 tsp sichuan peppercorns
- 4 tbsp neutral oil, divided
- 14 oz. firm tofu, pressed for at least 15 minutes
- 1 tbsp doenjang (fermented soybean paste), sub doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)
- 1.5 tbsp black bean garlic sauce
- 1 tbsp vegan oyster sauce
- 1 bunch leeks, ~ ½ cup greens and ¼ cup whites *sub white part of green onion for leek whites
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp white pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
- 2.5 cups water
- 4 bunches of bok choy, quartered
- 6 oz. enoki mushrooms (optional)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Heat a tsp of oil in a wok over medium-low heat. Toast dry red chilis and sichuan peppercorns. Stir occasionally, being careful not to burn the chilis. Let the chilis cool on a plate. When cooled, chop them up finely.
- Make the chili paste: doenjang, black bean garlic sauce, vegan oyster sauce. Whisk this together.
- In the same wok or pan, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Cut the pressed tofu into rectangles and pan fry until golden-brown and crisp on all sides. It should take about 10 minutes total. Set the tofu aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Reserve the oil used to pan fry the tofu and add a little more if necessary. Add ginger, garlic, and leek whites. After a few minutes, add white pepper, red chili powder, and rice wine to deglaze the wok. Add the paste and gently stir. Add 2.5 cups water and bring it to a simmer.
- Add bok choy and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add leeks and simmer with 1-2 minutes. Add enoki mushrooms and turn off the heat. Enoki mushrooms will cook almost immediately. Toss in the pan fried tofu.
- Taste and add 1 tbsp soy sauce if needed. Additional white pepper while serving with short-grain rice or jasmine rice is also great.