Szechuan Tofu Recipe (Vegan & Vegetarian)

Spicy vegan (and vegetarian) Szechuan tofu with peppers and red onion served with white rice.

Szechuan Tofu Recipe (Vegan & Vegetarian)

My take on Szechuan tofu features big chunks of tofu fried until crispy, loads of peppers and onions in a spicy sauce, given that special fizz thanks to lots of freshly ground Szechuan peppercorns.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Anglo Chinese

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword spicy szechuan tofu, szechuan tofu, vegan szechuan tofu, vegetarian szechuan tofu

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Total Time 27

Servings Servings

Calories 458kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

400 g Extra Firm Tofu 14oz
⅛ teaspoon Salt
⅛ teaspoon White Pepper
2 tablespoon Cornflour Corn starch in the US
1 Small Red Pepper
1 Small Green Pepper
1 Small Red Onion 100g
2 Garlic Cloves
2 teaspoon Szechuan Peppercorns
2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
Spring Onions For garnish

For the Szechuan Sauce:

2 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
½ teaspoon Cornflour
1 tablespoon Water
1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Chiangking Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 tablespoon Crispy Chilli Oil Lao Gan Ma *See notes

Instructions

Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and set them aside.
Cut the tofu into 20-25mm (¾-1") cubes and dry them a little on some kitchen paper.
Remove the stems and seeds from the red and green peppers, discard them, then cut the flesh into a dice roughly the same size as the tofu.
Top and tail the red onion, cut it in half, peel it and then cut it into 5mm (just under ¼") strips. Cut from top to tail and not across the onion.
Finely chop the garlic cloves.
Heat a wok over a high heat and when it is hot, toast the Szechuan pepper for a minute or two, then grind them in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
If you are garnishing the dish with spring onions, clean them up and finely slice them
Season the diced tofu with the salt and white pepper, then dredge it in the cornflour.
Return the wok to a high heat and add the cooking oil, and when the oil is hot, fry the tofu until it crisps up and begins to char in places.
Remove the tofu and set it aside.
Return the wok to the heat, add the diced peppers and red onion, stir fry for 2 minutes.
Throw in the fried tofu, crushed Szechuan pepper and garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
Pour over the sauce, and cook for a final minute to 90 seconds, then serve.

Video

Notes

Be careful if you are vegan/vegetarian when buying Lao Gan Ma, some variants contain meat. Whilst it is listed as an ingredient, it can be unclear if you are uninitiated.

Nutrition