Schezwan Tofu and Veggies Stir Fry

I remember the first time I tried tofu was not a good experience and I did not eat tofu for quite a long time then. I was not very fond of tofu two years back but all that changed when I again had tofu in Thai green curry and Thai fried rice. Now I love anything that has tofu and sometimes I prefer tofu over Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) in a few recipes. Isn’t this great when tofu tastes amazing than paneer to a paneer lover? 😉 Though I love Chilli Paneer, Paneer Tikka, Paneer Roll, Schezwan Paneer, Paneer Momo etc etc etc but this Schezwan tofu tastes equally great and delicious. ❤ Don’t believe? Try it out! 😉

Cooking tofu that tastes delicious and with the perfect crispy and meaty texture is a little tricky when you are not deep frying it. I NEVER deep fry tofu and never did before. I know that tastes good but I am not going to do that as I have another trick to make it delicious with the same perfect meaty texture. Trust me you won’t eat deep fried tofu once you try cooking tofu this way. Thank me later! 😉

Stir-frying tofu with veggies is the quickest and easiest dinner to make. You can really make a healthy and delicious meal with just one pan and a handful of ingredients.

I love trying new and different combinations with my favorite ingredients/food and Schezwan Sauce happens to be my favorite. This time I tried Schezwan Tofu with broccoli and asparagus. Well, I know that doesn’t sound interesting at first but once you try it I promise you, you will make it again and again.

Schezwan Sauce is a fiery hot sauce which is served with many Indo-Chinese dishes and it is truly match made in heaven when served with Momo. Just a spoon of it can make anything taste delicious and of course, fiery hot. 😀 Add a spoon of it to the noodle and you Schezwan noodle is ready, add it to the veggie fried rice and it’s now Schezwan fried rice, add it to the momo and pan fry them and it’s Schezwan momo, the list is so long. In short, Schezwan sauce can make any boring dish delicious. It is fiery hot but you can add ketchup to cut down the heat.

Schezwan tofu is one of the really scrumptious tofu dishes which is spicy, hot, flavorful, and appealing. The addition of stir fry veggies in burnt garlic and lots of whole dry red chilies with spring onion greens gives a distinctive taste to the veggies and the whole dish. Pair it up with steamed rice, veg fried rice, Chilli Garlic Noodles, or Veg Hakka noodles. Or, serve it as an appetizer and eat it as it is. 🙂

A few tips, If you are planning to cook tofu for lunch take them out in the morning itself and keep them in between paper towels and place a heavy container on it. It really helps to squeeze out the water from the tofu. Cut the tofu in desired size/shape and again leave on a paper towel so that they the tofu cubes get dry completely. Sprinkle some corn flour or all-purpose flour with required salt and gently toss. Let it sit for 10mins and then shallow fry them on medium-low flame until you get the perfect crispy and meaty texture tofu. And, PLEASE stir fry the veggies separately and on high flame. Frying veggies on high flame help them retain their shape and crispiness. Mix the veggies with tofu while serving only. Trust me they looks appealing and tastes better that way.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For Tofu Marination And Pan Frying

• 14 oz extra firm tofu, cut into bite-size cubes
• 1 Tbsp cornflour
• ½ Tsp salt
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil

For Stir Fry

• 12-14 Broccoli florets (medium size)
• 6 Asparagus (end trimmed)
• 4 Spring onion whites, chopped
• 4 Spring onion greens, chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves, chopped or minced
• 6 Whole dry red chilies
• Sea salt as required
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

For Sauce

• 2 Tbsp red chili sauce (milder)
• 2 Tbsp schezwan sauce
• 1-2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tsp sugar
• Salt as required
• 2 Tbsp water

Learn Step By Step Recipe With Pictures For Schezwan Tofu and Veggies Stir Fry 

Recipe:

Step 1- Drain all the water from the tofu and cut the tofu into bite-size pieces or as you desire. Take the tofu cubes to a plate and sprinkle the corn flour and salt. Gently toss without breaking the tofu cubes

Heat oil in a pan and on the medium flame shallow fry the tofu until crisp and golden brown. Remove on a plate

Step 2- In the same pan and more oil if required. Saute garlic and red chilies until the garlic turns light brown. Add the spring onion whites and fry for a minute on medium flame. Add the broccoli florets and asparagus, saute until cooked and then transfer to a plate

Step 3- In a bowl, take all the sauce ingredients and stir well. Keep aside

Step 4- Add the shallow fried tofu and the prepared sauce to the pan and mix well. Garnish with spring onion greens. Lastly, mix the veggies and then turn off the flame. Serve warm with noodles, fried rice, or steamed rice