Black Pepper Tofu

5 from 1 vote

A delicious and flavorful black pepper tofu that's easy to make and amazing served over rice for a complete plant-based meal.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Chinese

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Author: Deryn Macey

Ingredients

For the Tofu

350 g block of firm or extra-firm tofu
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
1-2 tsp sesame oil or avocado, peanut or coconut oil

For the Stir Fry

2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup finely diced white onion or shallots 100 g
1 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger 10 g
4 cloves garlic minced, 15 g
1 cup lightly packed roughly chopped scallions 50 g

For the Black Pepper Sauce

5 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
1 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp cane sugar or coconut sugar
1 tbsp fine or medium ground black pepper
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

Optional: Press tofu for 20-30 minutes. Pressing the tofu will help it get a little crispier and absorb more flavour but it's not necessary to the success of the recipe. Use a tofu press or wrap in a dish towel and place a heavy object on top of it.
If you plan to serve this recipe with rice as recommended, start cooking that now, according to package instructions.
Cut the tofu into approximately 1/2-inch cubes and toss with the cornstarch and soy sauce. Set aside and heat 1 tsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the tofu and cook for about 60-seconds on each of the 6 sides until each piece is browned and crispy. Remove from the pan.
Gently wipe the pan to remove any residue from the tofu. Add the oil, then add the ginger, garlic, and onion. Saute for 4-5 minutes until softened, fragrant and translucent.
While the onions, ginger, and garlic are cooking, mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Make sure the sugar and cornstarch are fully incorporated before you add the sauce to the pan.
Add the sauce and scallions to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring and scraping the pan often, until the sauce is thick and sticky.
Add the tofu to the pan and mix to coat with the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the tofu is hot and coated in sauce.
Serve or your favorite rice and topped with thinly sliced scallions and fresh chopped cilantro.

Notes

For a gluten-free recipe, be sure to use gluten-free tamari instead of soy suace.

This recipe is best served hot and fresh, however, the tofu can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheated as needed in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop.

This recipe has a very strong pepper flavor, which makes it on the spicy side. If you don't like pepper or spice, this probably isn't the recipe for you.

I use this recipe to serve two but it could serve 3-4 with a smaller serving of tofu. If you cut a 350 g block of tofu into 32 cubes, it works well for 4 small servings of tofu.

Nutrition