Recipe: Salt and Pepper Tofu

This salt and pepper tofu recipe uses a unique blend of salt, white pepper, black pepper, Chinese five spice, and jalapeño peppers for robust flavor. Cooking it with corn starch makes it extra crispy.

I believe this is the dish that turned my daughter on to tofu, and now that she has made it several different ways, she gives me tips on how to cook it!

Ingredients

• 16 oz firm tofu
• 4 fresh jalapeño peppers
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• Canola oil for frying

Steps

1. Prepare the tofu. Rinse and drain the tofu and place on a plate, then place a paper towel over the top. Use something heavy like a cutting board or book to press the tofu, releasing extra water. Drain the tofu and then cut it into squares.
2. Prepare the dry mix. Combine corn starch, white pepper, black pepper, five spic powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
3. Cut the jalapeño peppers into thin slices.
4. Place the dry mix in a Ziploc bag, add the tofu, and shake until the tofu pieces are well-coated.
5. Heat a pan on the stove-top on medium, and add a couple of tablespoons of oil.
6. Add tofu pieces to the hot oil, and cook until golden brown. Add the jalapeño slices to the pan just before removing the tofu, so the tofu can absorb some of the flavor, and the jalapenos get lightly fried.
7. Once the tofu is cooked on all sides, set the tofu and peppers aside on a plate with a paper towel to soak up any extra oil.
8. Add a dash of salt and pepper to the cooked tofu for extra flavor if desired.
9. Serve.