Disclosure: This publish might include affiliate hyperlinks. I could earn a small fee for my endorsement, suggestion, testimonial, and/or hyperlink to any services or products from this web site.
Make Candy and Bitter Tofu from the consolation of your personal house in half-hour with simply 9 elements and a home made candy and bitter sauce. Gluten-free, oil-free possibility, refined sugar-free possibility.
This fast and straightforward Candy and Bitter Tofu is a plant-based twist on the basic pork recipe. Nothing’s higher than crispy tofu cubes tossed in a candy and tangy sauce and served over a mattress of rice in a recent pineapple. The entire household will love this one.
Desk of Contents
The Transformation of Candy and Bitter Sauce
It’s believed that the primary candy and bitter sauce first originated within the Guangdong province of south China. At present, candy and bitter sauce continues to be part of Chinese language delicacies and used primarily as dipping sauces or in dishes like Goo lo yuk, which interprets to candy and bitter pork in English.
The primary variations of this conventional sauce have been made with Chinese language staple elements like shan zha sauce (Hawthorn berry), however time beyond regulation morphed into the westernized model we all know in America that’s made with ketchup or tomato paste.
This model is certainly not genuine Chinese language cooking and as a substitute extra of a Chinese language-American fusion dish, but it surely’s completely scrumptious and a fantastic various to deep fried tofu.
What You Want for Candy and Bitter Tofu
In the event you’ve made my Teriyaki Tofu or Crispy Orange Tofu, you’ll know I’m a fan of constructing my very own sauces from scratch. This recipe isn’t any completely different. Along with additional agency tofu, you’ll want simply 12 easy elements. Right here’s the gist:
- The tofu: We’re skipping the deep fry and baking our tofu in a easy coating of oil, soy sauce, and corn starch so as to add taste, crispiness, and shade.
- The sauce: The perfect candy and bitter sauce is effectively balanced. To realize the proper candy and tangy taste, I’ve mixed ketchup, brown sugar (candy) with Shaoxing wine and rice vinegar (bitter). Shaoxing wine provides a complexity that you just can’t obtain with one other ingredient, but when wanted, it may be substituted with further rice vinegar.
- The veggies: Preserving with the classics and utilizing yellow onion, inexperienced and pink bell peppers, and cubed pineapple. Be happy to swap the peppers with one other stir-fry favourite equivalent to snap peas and even sliced carrots! And in case you love pineapple in savory dishes, you need to strive these vegan recipes: Vegan Tofu Pineapple Curry and BBQ Tempeh Tacos with Pineapple Coleslaw.
Tips on how to Make Candy and Bitter Tofu
- Lower the pressed tofu into cubes or rip it into chunk sized items.
- Toss the tofu within the oil and soy sauce, then sprinkle with cornstarch and toss once more. Bake in a single layer till golden brown and crispy.
- In a small bowl, whisk the candy and bitter sauce elements collectively and put aside.
- Sauté the aromatics then add the bell peppers and onion and prepare dinner till barely softened.
- Add the pineapple, pour within the candy and bitter sauce and simmer till the greens are tender.
- Stir in the crispy tofu items, then serve heat as desired.
Caitlin’s Cooking Ideas
- Put money into a tofu press. In the event you’re new to tofu and have had dangerous experiences with mushy, soggy tofu, it’s attainable you’re not urgent it effectively sufficient earlier than incorporating it in numerous recipes. Utilizing a tofu press is just the most effective and best approach to press tofu evenly and constantly each time. The primary time you utilize one, you’ll be transformed!
- Attempt freezing your tofu. This trick helps change the feel of tofu and makes it extra sponge-like and chewy, just like hen. To take action, place your block of tofu in a freezer secure bag or hermetic container and freeze in a single day. Then take away it from the freezer and permit it to thaw at room temperature earlier than blotting with a paper towel and urgent as regular.
- Regulate the sweetness of your sauce to style. Relying in your style buds, you might need to alter the quantity of sugar. In the event you favor a extra bitter candy and bitter sauce, lower the sugar in half. For a candy model, use the complete 4 tablespoons (or extra to style!).
Serving Recommendations
I really like this candy and bitter tofu served over white rice with sesame seeds, inexperienced onions, and extra pineapple chunks, if desired. To make it additional enjoyable, drizzle with slightly additional sauce and serve in hollowed out pineapple halves for the final word presentation. Study learn how to lower pineapple bowls on this simple tutorial.
In the event you’re on the lookout for extra Chinese language-inspired recipes you possibly can take pleasure in on a plant-based food regimen, you’ll additionally love this Chinese language 5 Spice Braised Tofu, this Crispy Orange Tofu and this Vegan Kung Pao Tofu!
Tips on how to Retailer Candy and Bitter Tofu
Leftover candy and bitter baked tofu will hold within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Freezing has not been examined and isn’t really useful right now.
To reheat, place desired serving in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments till heat. Alternatively, this dish might be reheated in a big wok or sauté pan.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-free possibility: Use tamari or coconut aminos instead of the soy sauce and extra rice vinegar instead of the Shaoxing wine (Shaoxing is just not sometimes gluten-free).
- Oil-free possibility: Omit the high-heat cooking oil when baking the tofu and change the oil for sautéing with water or a low-sodium vegetable broth. This can yield a much less crispy tofu, however nonetheless be flavorful.
- Refined sugar-free possibility: Exchange the brown sugar with coconut sugar or a liquid sweetener equivalent to maple syrup. Additionally, you will want to make use of a ketchup sweetened with dates or maple syrup. Primal Kitchen makes store-bought model, however you can even strive a easy home made ketchup recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Firstly, verify the most effective by date on the packaging. Whether it is effectively previous the really useful date, it’s most secure to compost and begin with a recent block. One other warning signal of spoiled tofu is a powerful odor. Good tofu mustn’t have a lot of a odor in any respect, so whether it is bitter smelling, discard!
Wholesome is goal and differs individual to individual. When you’ve got dietary restrictions, I extremely advocate looking my web site by your private desire. My gluten-free and oil-free recipes are very talked-about! Or, browse my Tofu archives for tons of different wholesome tofu choices you might take pleasure in!
Take pleasure in! In the event you make this recipe and determine to share it on Fb or Instagram, don’t overlook to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I’d additionally find it irresistible in case you may depart a remark beneath with a recipe score! Thanks for the help 😊
For the Tofu:
- 1 14 ounce additional agency tofu pressed
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or one other high-heat cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
For the Candy & Bitter Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or sub extra vinegar
- 2-4 tablespoons brown sugar or cane sugar*
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
For the Stir Fry:
- 1-2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon minced recent ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced recent garlic
- 1/2 yellow onion lower into 1” items
- 1 inexperienced bell pepper lower into 1” items
- 1 pink bell pepper lower into 1” items
- 1 cup pineapple cubes recent or canned
- Serving ideas: cooked rice identical seeds, chopped inexperienced onions
-
Prep: Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Lower the tofu into 3/4” cubes (or tear into bite-sized items, if most popular)
-
Tofu: Add the tofu to a medium bowl and add within the oil and soy sauce. Toss with a spatula till evenly coated, then sprinkle the cornstarch on prime and toss once more. Switch to a baking sheet and unfold out the tofu items in order that they aren’t touching. Bake on the highest rack of the oven for half-hour, flipping the tofu midway by way of.
-
Sauce: Whisk the ketchup, vinegar, Shaoxing wine, sugar, water, soy sauce, and cornstarch collectively in a small bowl. Whisk effectively till the cornstarch has dissolved, then add the water and blend once more. Put aside.
-
Stir-Fry: Heat the oil in a big wok or sauté pan over medium warmth. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 to 60 seconds, till aromatic. Add the onion and bell peppers to the wok and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the sauce once more to verify the cornstarch is dissolved, then pour it into the pan together with the pineapple. Carry to a simmer and prepare dinner for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring sometimes, till the greens are tender. If the sauce will get too thick you possibly can skinny it out with further water.
-
Remaining Touches: Flip the warmth to low, then stir within the baked tofu. Style the sauce and add extra soy sauce to style, if needed. Divide the tofu between serving bowls and serve heat over rice and with sesame seeds and inexperienced onions, or as desired. Leftovers will hold within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Gluten-Free: use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari to make this recipe gluten-free
- Sugar: Brown sugar might be swapped for cane sugar or one other liquid sweetener. In the event you like your Candy & Bitter Tofu candy, use the complete 4 tablespoons of sugar. For a tangier model scale back to 2 or 3 tablespoons.
Energy: 254kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 10gFats: 9gSaturated Fats: 1gPolyunsaturated Fats: 3gMonounsaturated Fats: 5gTrans Fats: 0.01gSodium: 714mgPotassium: 430mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 1143IUVitamin C: 84mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg
