Black Pepper Tofu Recipe | School of Wok (2024)

Posted on Wed 5th January 2022

Peppery perfection! Black Pepper Tofu: Crispy tofu in a savory Chinese vegan recipe. Bold flavors, satisfying textures. Get ready to spice things up!

Cuisine

Chinese

Time

20 min

Servings

2-4 people

Black Pepper Tofu Recipe | School of Wok (1)

Ingredients

  • 400g firm tofu, pressed
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • ½ thumb sized piece ginger
  • 1 spring onion
  • 1 quarter of red and green pepper - diced
  • 1 red onion - diced
  • 150ml vegetable stock

The Marinade

  • 1 ½ tbsp mushroom stir-fry sauce
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 4 tbsp cornstarch

The Sauce

  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (or sherry)
  • ½ tbsp mushroom stir-fry sauce
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Method

Preparation

• Roughly chop the ginger, garlic, and spring onion. Quarter the red onion and cut into 1-2 cm cubes. Quarter the green pepper, red pepper and red onion. Place on the wok clock starting at twelve with the ginger and garlic, then the spring onion, red onion and, lastly, the peppers.

• Pat the tofu dry and cut it into 1 cm cubes. To the tofu add the mushroom stir fry sauce, 1 tsp of black pepper, and the sesame oil. Fold through with your fingertips (be careful not to break up the tofu). If you are going for a crisp tofu, add 4 heaped Tbsp of corn-starch and coat.

• Make the stir fry sauce with the rest of mushroom stir fry sauce and the sauce ingredients.

Cooking

• Now you are ready to wok! Add a good amount of oil to the wok, to deep fry the tofu. Drop a piece of tofu in, if it fizzes it is ready. Fold it over a few times to coat with the oil and move it around with a spatula every 1 to 2 mins, for 6 mins, until golden brown. When all the tofu is golden brown, put a spider or sieve into a bowl and pour the tofu into it.

• With the oil left in the wok start working around your wok clock, starting at 12 with the ginger, then the garlic, spring onion, red onion, and pepper. Fold and flick for about 2-3 mins until the onions start to blister. Add the tofu once the wok is smoking hot again. Then add your sauce, and fold and toss.

• Wait for the wok to get smoking hot again and pour veg stock around the edges. Once vigorously boiling, give it a wok toss. Add one final pinch of black pepper and a bit more dark soy to finish it off.

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Black Pepper Tofu Recipe | School of Wok (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to cooking tofu? ›

Press it. Tofu contains a lot of water, and you'll want to squeeze most of it out, especially if you're baking, grilling, or frying it. I recommend using a tofu press to do this, because it gives the tofu a delicious chewy texture and makes cleanup a breeze. But having one isn't necessary.

How to make black pepper powder? ›

How to Make Fresh Ground Black Pepper Powder at Home. I found out that roasted black pepper in a dry pan till aromatic enhances the flavour of the ground pepper. Dry roast pepper for 4 to 5 mins. Allow it cool and grind them in a blender.

What are the ingredients in tofu? ›

Tofu is made from dried soybeans that are soaked in water, crushed, and boiled. The mixture is separated into solid pulp (okara) and soy “milk.” Salt coagulants, such as calcium and magnesium chlorides and sulfates, are added to the soy milk to separate the curds from the whey.

What are the ingredients in pepper? ›

Pepper gets its spicy heat mostly from piperine derived from both the outer fruit and the seed. Black pepper contains between 4.6 and 9.7% piperine by mass, and white pepper slightly more than that. Refined piperine, by weight, is about one percent as hot as the capsaicin found in chili peppers.

What not to mix with tofu? ›

What to not serve with tofu? According to studies, a high volume consumption of tofu and spinach together can increase your risk of kidney stones. Tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively and the combined can form kidney stones.

How to make tofu taste better? ›

Press tofu and cube it. Coat it in garlic, black pepper, salt (plus more of your favourite seasonings), liquid aminos and some olive oil. Then mix it into some cornstarch and toss it all together, then bake for about 20 minutes. Cornstarch also helps to draw out excess moisture so it really gets the tofu crispy.

What is black pepper seasoning made of? ›

Black pepper is obtained from the small dried berries (peppercorns) of the vine Piper nigrum. The name pepper is derived from the Sanskrit name of long pepper, pippali.

What gives black pepper its flavor? ›

The main active ingredient in black peppercorns is piperine, which is the source of black pepper's characteristic heat. Aside from heat, black pepper carries a complex flavor profile of piney, citrusy notes. By adding more black pepper to a dish, eventually the heat from the piperine becomes the main flavor.

What to season tofu with? ›

Tofu seasoning rub: Rub the pressed tofu with lots of spices like garlic or onion powder, salt and pepper, nutritional yeast or a spicy taco seasoning, KFC seasoning, Buffalo spice, etc. Tofu marinade: Soak the tofu cubes in your favorite chicken/meat marinade to infuse extra flavor.

How to cook tofu for beginners? ›

Cut tofu into cubes. Step 2: Place those cubes in a bowl, and toss gently with 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Step 3: Arrange tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with some olive oil and salt. Step 4: Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, or until as crispy as you'd like.

What can I marinate tofu in? ›

In a mixing bowl or measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the marinade: soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ginger, and Sriracha. Drizzle over the tofu. If any pieces look bare, turn them over in the marinade a few times so all of the sides are coated.

How do you make black pepper? ›

To make black pepper, farmers harvest the still-green unripe peppercorns and dry them either by machine or in the sun, which causes the thin fruit layer to darken and wither, raisin-like, around the seed, resulting in the characteristic dark, puckered peppercorns you load into your pepper grinder.

What is black pepper good for? ›

Black pepper is a good source of manganese, a mineral that can help with bone health, wound healing, and metabolism. In fact, one teaspoon of black pepper offers 13 percent of your daily recommended intake (DRI) of manganese and 3 percent of your DRI of vitamin K. One teaspoon of black pepper contains: Calories: 6.

What are the chemical ingredients in black pepper? ›

The main volatile flavour compounds in black pepper are terpenes, and black pepper oils contain nitrogen-containing compounds [4, 14]. Key odorants of black pepper are α- and β-pinene, myrcene, α-phellandrene, limonene, linalool, methyl propanal, 2- and 3-methylbutanal, butyric acid and 3-methylbutyric acid.

What is the best way to cook tofu for beginners? ›

Heat a large oven-safe metal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and the seasoned tofu. Sauté for 5 minutes, shaking/flipping occasionally to cook on all sides, until tofu has a slight crust on each side and has begun to brown.

How is tofu supposed to be cooked? ›

Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the tofu to the pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan (otherwise it'll steam). Cook the tofu until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Is it better to fry or bake tofu? ›

It sticks, and the crispy bits end up sticking to the pan, which is a tofu tragedy. Plus, it requires more oil, and you don't need to use a lot of oil to get crispy tofu. When you bake your tofu, you give it time to develop crispy edges and warm, pillowy insides. It's simply the best.

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