Homemade Kung Pao Tofu

One of my favourite Chinese dishes is Kung Pao Prawn/Chicken. But most restaurant Kung Pao dish is full of oil, MSG, sodium and unnecessary nasties. Hence, I only order a Kung Pao dish when I am really craving for it. But I immediately feel crap and uneasy after eating it. I put this feeling down to the amount of oil and MSG used in the dish.

As a result, I now make my own Kung Pao dish. My favourite homemade Kung Pao dish is Kung Pao Tofu. I tend to have this dish at least once every two weeks, in particular in winter. It is a comfort food for me – I love how the heat from the dried chilli warms me up and the sweet-saltiness-sourness of the dish. This is my healthy version of Kung Pao Tofu.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have. As always, please let me know what you think of this recipe. If you like what you see on this blog, you can follow me on my blog, Facebook or Instagram for some food porn. Also, if you do recreate this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @subz_foodie 🙂

For those counting calories and macros, please use the table below as a guide.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil;
• 1-2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (red peppercorns);
• 2 dried red chillies, chopped;
• 1-2 tsp fresh ginger;
• 1 medium brown onion, thinly sliced;
• 300g firm tofu, cubed;
• 2 medium carrots, julienned;
• 1 green capsicum, chopped into cubes or 250g, green beans, sliced;
• 1/2 bunch fresh coriander (1/4-1/3 cup loosely packed), roughly chopped;
• 1.5 tbsp. light soy sauce;
• 1.5 tbsp. balsamic vinegar;
• 1 tbsp. kecap manis (or 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce +1/2-1 tbsp honey/sugar/maple syrup);
• 1 tbsp corn flour/starch; and
• 2 tbsp. unsalted roasted peanuts (you can also use unsalted roasted cashews).

Method

1. Put a wok on a medium-high heat on the stove. Once the wok is hot, pour the olive oil into the wok. Once the oil is hot, throw in the Sichuan peppercorns, dried red chillies, ginger and sliced brown onions and fry until fragrant and the onions are golden brown. If the onions start to stick on the wok, add some water;
2. Add the tofu and carrots and stir fry until the carrots are al dente;
3. Then, add the capsicums and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and kecap manis and stir fry until well combined. In a small bowl, mix the corn flour with 2-3 tbsp of water and add it to the wok. Stir fry until well combined  and the sauce becomes slightly thicker;
4. Turn the heat off and add the chopped fresh coriander and unsalted roasted peanuts to the wok and stir until well combined; and
5. Your Kung Pao Tofu is now ready to be served. Enjoy your Kung Pao Tofu with quinoa or brown rice.

Happy Cooking,

Suba

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