Vegan Tofu Kangjung (General Tso’s Tofu) Recipe! (serves 2-3)
Ingredients 1 16-19 ounce package of extra-firm tofu (frozen, then thawed) 1/3 cup corn starch (or more if needed) 1 cup of steamed broccoli ( if desired)
Sauce 1 Tbs finely minced or shredded ginger (see note on ginger by picture below) 1 Tbs minced garlic 2 Tbs soy sauce 1 Tbs white vinegar 1 Tbs white wine 4 Tbs vegan sugar or agave syrup 1 cup water 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1Tbs & 1 tsp corn starch mixed with 2 Tbs water
Directions
- Press the tofu to drain the water from it (freezing the tofu beforehand gives it a chewier texture and really makes a difference). To press the tofu, place it between two absorbent towels on a cutting board. Put several heavy books on top and let sit for 15 minutes to half an hour, minimum, up to two hours. The longer, the better! The key is to push out the water without breaking the tofu. If you’re in a hurry, you can get away with squeezing the water out with your hands (only if you’ve frozen it beforehand), just be careful not to break it. Slice the tofu into 1″ by 1″ cubes. Put the tofu in batches in a bag or container with a lid, add the corn starch and shake to coat. Add more corn starch if needed. Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat and fry tofu in batches until crisp and slightly brown, turning to cook both sides. I usually can get away with a couple of Tbs of oil to do the frying if the pan is small enough, so you don’t have to deep fry; although, you certainly can. Just be sure to use enough oil so that it doesn’t stick to the pan and the level is high enough to cover half of each tofu cube. Cut broccoli into bite sizes and steam (if desired). Add 1 cup of water and all of the the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch and water mixture to a large pan, stir to dissolve the sugar, bring to a boil over high heat and cook for several minutes. If desired, you can first saute the garlic, ginger, and red pepper in a tablespoon of oil for a couple of minutes before adding the other ingredients. Add the cornstarch and water mixture to the sauce and continue to cook, stirring. When the sauce thickens enough to be syrupy remove from heat. If the sauce is too runny, combine a little more cornstarch and water and add to the sauce. When sauce has thickened enough, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add the fried tofu to the sauce and stir and flip to coat (if desired, you can add the broccoli too). Serve with brown rice and the steamed broccoli on the side (if desired)!