Deep Fried Tofu with Peanut Sauce

Mirj's Note:

Do you want to know a secret? This is my favorite thing to eat when I'm alone in the house (rare) in front of the TV watching soap operas.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 lb tofu
• 2 cloves garlic , coarsely chopped
• 1 coriander leaves , coarsely chopped (if available)
• 3 dried red chili peppers , , seeded,soaked,and coarsely chopped
• ½ tablespoon salt
• ½ cup rice vinegar (cider vinegar is fine)
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup hot water
• ¾ cup finely chopped/crushed peanuts
• 2 cups peanut oil (for frying tofu) or 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying tofu)

Garnishes

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Cut the tofu in 1- 1/2 inch square pieces.
2. Set aside.
3. Make a paste (with such small quantities, a mortar and pestle are probably the easiest method) of the garlic, coriander, 3 seeded chili peppers, and salt.
4. Add the vinegar and mix.
5. Dissolve the 1/4 cup sugar in 1/4 cup hot water and add it to the paste along with the 1/4 cup of chopped peanuts.
6. Mix well (the food processor helps here) and put it in a serving bowl.
7. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and red pepper flakes.
8. Put the 2 cup of peanut oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat.
9. Deep-fry the tofu in hot (360 degrees Fahrenheit) oil for 5 minutes, until a light gold.
10. Drain on paper towels.
11. Place the tofu on a serving plate and the bowl of peanut sauce next to it.
12. Use the peanut sauce as a dip.
13. Serve either hot or at room temperature.

Reviews

[riffraff]

The sauce for this is SO GOOD! It was my mother's first time to eat tofu and she gave it a 5 star rating. I loved it. We spent the rest of the night trying to figure out what else we could use the sauce for. She voted egg rolls, I am thinking salmon. Thanks again.

[Miraklegirl]

I made this in an attempt to recreate a dish I had at a thai restaurant many years ago. As such I made a few changes: I dusted the tofu with cornstarch to give it more of a crust, and then added it to some stir fried spinach and served with the peanut sauce. The only change I made to the peanut sauce is I used light peanut butter instead of the peanuts. I was very pleased with the results and have lots of sauce left over (I knew it was going to be good so I doubled the recipe) and am going to serve the remaining sauce with the satay skewers! Neither my husband nor I are big tofu eaters, but this was very, very good. Thanks Mirj, for another great recipe.