Best 5 General Tao Tofu Recipes

GENERAL TSO'S TOFU

Steps:

• Place tofu onto a plate lined with several paper towels. Cover with more paper towels and another plate. Set a 3- to 5-pound weight on top and press tofu for 30 minutes. Drain and discard any accumulated liquid.
• Place tofu cubes in a shallow bowl. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and sesame oil. Gently stir to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes or until tofu has absorbed most of the liquid.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce by whisking soy sauce, maple syrup, sambal oelek, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, cornstarch, and green onions together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Drain any remaining liquid from the tofu. Place cornstarch in a gallon-sized plastic resealable bag. Drop tofu cubes in the bag, seal, and gently shake until coated with cornstarch.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook tofu for 4 minutes. Flip with tongs and cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes more. Transfer tofu to a plate and wipe the skillet clean.
• Pour sauce into the skillet and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Return tofu to the skillet and toss to combine.

GENERAL TSO'S TOFU STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Cut the tofu into 2-centimetre (3/4-inch) cubes and dry well on paper towels. Put half the cornstarch into a food bag, add the tofu cubes and toss to coat, then add the remaining cornstarch and toss again. Set aside for 5 minutes to become slightly tacky.
• Mix the rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and brown sugar together in a bowl and set aside.
• Heat the sunflower oil in a wok or frying pan over a high heat and cook the tofu for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on paper towels. Drain any excess oil from the wok.
• Allow the wok to cool a little, then add the sesame oil, ginger, garlic and chile and gently fry for about 1 minute before adding the blended sauce ingredients with 150 milliliters (2/3 cup) water. Bubble until you have a thick, glossy sauce.
• Return the tofu to the pan and toss to coat all over. Serve with steamed basmati or brown rice and broccoli.

GENERAL TSO'S TOFU SUB

Steps:

• For the General Tso sauce: In a blender combine ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, vinegar, mirin, and sesame oil. Add chilis, salt, sugar, and xantham gum, if using. Process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, and set aside.
• For the pickles: In a clean blender combine garlic, ginger, shallot, sesame oil, sugar, salt and chili. Blend until slightly smooth, but still mostly chunky. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add the vinegar, scallion and cucumbers. Mix, and set aside.
• For the edamame puree: In a clean blender puree edamame and just enough water to make a smooth paste. Transfer to a small bowl, and set aside.
• For the tofu: In a deep fryer, preheat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together salt, sugar, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Place the tofu on a plate, and sprinkle both sides of the tofu with about a tablespoon or more of the salt mixture, saving the rest for later use.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites and cornstarch until blended and smooth. Place panko in a shallow bowl. Dip the seasoned tofu slices into the egg white batter, gently shake off excess batter, and dip in panko, covering the tofu thoroughly. Deep-fry in the oil until deep golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove and drain.
• For assembly: Cut the subway rolls open lengthwise. Spread one side of each with edamame purée, and the other side with mayonnaise. Quickly dip both sides of the fried tofu in the General Tso sauce, and place two slices of tofu, end to end, on one side of each subway roll. Top the tofu with drained pickled cucumbers, garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and finish by topping with the other side of the roll. Cut in half, and serve immediately.

GENERAL TAO TOFU

Steps:

• Sauce: In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Set aside.
• Stir-Fry: In a large bowl, dust the tofu with the cornstarch. Shake to remove any excess. Set aside on a plate.
• In a wok, heat the oil. Fry the tofu, half at a time, until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the tofu from the wok with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.
• In the wok, fry the onions, ginger, and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Add oil, if needed. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the tofu and cook, stirring to warm through, and coat thoroughly with the sauce. Serve immediately over rice. Serve with broccoli.

GENERAL TSO'S TOFU

Steps:

• Drain, dry and cut tofu into one inch chunks-You can freeze the tofu the night before to get a more"chicken-like" texture, if desired.
• Mix egg with 3 Tbs of water.
• Dip tofu in mixture.
• Sprinkle cornstarch over tofu to completely cover.
• Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden brown and set aside.
• Drain oil.
• Heat 3 Tbs vegetable oil in pan on medium heat and add onions, ginger and garlic, cook for about two minutes (be careful not to burn garlic).
• Add vegetable stock, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes and vinegar.
• Mix 2 Tbs of water and 1 Tbs cornstarch and pour into mixture, stirring well.
• Add fried tofu and coat evenly.
• Serve immediately with steamed broccoli over your choice of rice.