Better-Than-Takeout Sesame Tofu

elisechristiane's Note:

I found this recipe on loveandoliveoil.com. It's a little bit of work pan frying all the tofu cubes, but it's so worth it! The tofu is perfectly crunchy, and the sauce is delicious. It can be served over jasmine rice. This is healthier and tastier than regular Chinese take-out! I substituted broccoli for broccolini.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 12 ounces extra firm tofu (1 package)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup peanut oil (or canola)
• sesame seeds
• 8 stalks Broccolini
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/8 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon chili paste
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:

1. Cut tofu into 1/2 thick slices. Place in a 9�~13�� baking pan lined with a tea towel, top with another towel followed by another baking pan. Weight with something heavy (soup cans or something), and let press for 20-30 minutes. Cut into cubes.
2. Coat tofu cubes in egg, then toss in cornstarch until coated and dry. Shake off extra cornstarch.
3. Combine sugar, cornstarch, water, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, and garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes, until thick.
4. While sauce is cooking, heat oil in large non-stick skillet or wok. Carefully place tofu in hot oil, spacing evenly so the pieces don�ft stick together. Cook (without touching!) for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom, and then carefully turn and cook other side. Continue to turn until cubes are golden on a few sides. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate.
5. Wipe out tofu pan and heat a drizzle of oil. Saute broccolini, turning once, for about 2-4 minutes or until bright green and tender. Remove from heat. Return tofu cubes to pan, and pour over sauce. Stir until well coated. Serve with jasmine rice and sprinkled with lightly toasted sesame seeds.

Reviews

[Maito]

This was a very good recipe, much like a restaurant dish. I thought it sounded like a lot of sauce, but it was perfect. We aren't partial to fried tofu - I skipped that step, so used a lot less oil. I also cut the sugar back to only a teaspoon, as we don't like savory dishes to be sweet. I drizzled sesame oil over the final dish (instead of cooking it). This was quite yummy and easy for the two of us to finish!

[Julie F]

Very yummy! This is definitely better than takeout! True, it did take a while to fry all the tofu, but the end product is fabulous as well as fairly healthy!

[sofie-a-toast]

I liked this method of preparing tofu (loved the cornstarch) but it was rather time intensive and the sauce was waaaaay to sweet for me even after halving the sugar and adding a ton of extra soy sauce. Made great leftovers though! Made for Best of 2010 tag game.