Let me assure any doubters out there, tofu is not tasteless! It has the most incredible ability to take on other ingredients, and this dish is a case in point – it’s crispy, sweet, hot, sour and completely delicious. Serves 4-6 as a side
Ingredients
500g firm tofu, cut into 3cm cubes
½ cup cornflour
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup black sesame seeds
1-2 cups cooking oil (I use grapeseed)
2-3 assorted chillies, deseeded and halved lengthwise
Serves 4-6 as a side
2 spring onions, sliced thinly
Serves 4-6 as a side
Sauce
3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Method
1. Place cubed tofu into a large bowl. Sprinkle cornflour and salt on top and gently toss with your hands to ensure all pieces are covered. Shake off excess flour, then add the sesame seeds to the bowl and toss again to coat.
2. In a small pot, heat enough oil to medium-hot so you can deep-fry the tofu (using a small pot means less oil is required). Test the temperature by lowering a piece of tofu into the oil – it should fizz immediately. Fry tofu in batches until light golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
3. Fry the chillies in the oil. Drain.
4. Fry the corn kernels in a pan until charred in places.
5. Mix sauce ingredients together. Taste for seasoning – add more lime if it needs zing, and more salt if it needs more flavour.
6. Pile tofu, chillies and corn onto a serving platter and shower with sliced spring onions. Squeeze some lime juice over top and serve with the sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Nici’s Note
You can shallow-fry the tofu in a pan if you prefer. It takes longer to ensure all sides are crispy, but it still works!
