Caramel Tofu
By Stephanie PixleyPublished on March 31, 2019
Time
1¼ hours, plus 20 minutes draining
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You can use either firm or extra-firm tofu in this recipe. For the fish sauce substitute, use either Bragg's Amino Acids or our vegetarian fish sauce substitute recipe. The caramel can go from amber-colored to burnt quickly, so it's important to have the cup and a half of water at the ready to stop the caramelization. Serve over rice.
Instructions
- Spread tofu over paper towel–lined baking sheet, let drain for 20 minutes, then gently press dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, pour ¼ cup water into medium saucepan, then sprinkle sugar evenly over top. Cook over medium heat, gently swirling pan occasionally (do not stir), until sugar melts and mixture turns color of maple syrup, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, slowly whisk in remaining 1½ cups water (sauce will sizzle). Stir in onion, fish sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Return pan to medium-low heat and simmer vigorously until onions are softened and sauce has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Spread remaining ½ cup cornstarch in shallow dish. Working with several tofu pieces at a time, coat thoroughly with cornstarch, pressing gently to adhere; transfer to plate.
- Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add tofu and cook, turning as needed, until all sides are crisp and well browned, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate to drain. Transfer tofu to platter, drizzle with sauce, and sprinkle with cilantro, peanuts, and scallions. Serve.
Time
1¼ hours, plus 20 minutes drainingYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
For a sweet and salty tofu recipe, we tossed cubes of tofu with cornstarch, lightly pan-fried them, and served them with a caramel sauce often found in the Vietnamese braises and stews known as kho. These tofu cubes were satisfying, savory, and irresistible. To achieve the tricky balance of sweet and savory in our sauce, we kept our caramel base simple and added a healthy dose of savory garlic, fish sauce substitute, and pepper. To ensure that our caramel sauce was sweet but still had depth, we added a thinly sliced onion to caramelize in the sauce. Tossing the tofu with cornstarch and pan-frying it gave it an appealing crispy, browned exterior; then we drizzled it with the caramel sauce and topped it with some chopped peanuts for textural contrast and a sprinkling of cilantro and scallions for a fresh finish.
Before You Begin
You can use either firm or extra-firm tofu in this recipe. For the fish sauce substitute, use either Bragg's Amino Acids or our vegetarian fish sauce substitute recipe. The caramel can go from amber-colored to burnt quickly, so it's important to have the cup and a half of water at the ready to stop the caramelization. Serve over rice.
Instructions
- Spread tofu over paper towel–lined baking sheet, let drain for 20 minutes, then gently press dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, pour ¼ cup water into medium saucepan, then sprinkle sugar evenly over top. Cook over medium heat, gently swirling pan occasionally (do not stir), until sugar melts and mixture turns color of maple syrup, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, slowly whisk in remaining 1½ cups water (sauce will sizzle). Stir in onion, fish sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Return pan to medium-low heat and simmer vigorously until onions are softened and sauce has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Spread remaining ½ cup cornstarch in shallow dish. Working with several tofu pieces at a time, coat thoroughly with cornstarch, pressing gently to adhere; transfer to plate.
- Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add tofu and cook, turning as needed, until all sides are crisp and well browned, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate to drain. Transfer tofu to platter, drizzle with sauce, and sprinkle with cilantro, peanuts, and scallions. Serve.
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