What Is General Tso’s Tofu
General Tso’s Tofu is a popular Chinese dish that consists of deep-fried cubes of tofu in a sweet and spicy sauce. If you have ever eaten at a Chinese buffet or restaurant, then you may already be familiar with the dish called General Tso’s Chicken. It is an immensely popular Chinese dish. General Tso’s tofu is a delicious plant-based vegan version of General Tso’s Chicken.
If you are a fan of sweet and sour and mildly spicy flavors, then General Tso’s Tofu should certainly be on your list of things to try. Other ingredients may include garlic, roasted sesame seeds, and broccoli. It’s often served over rice or noodles and garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.
Type of Tofu to Choose for This Recipe
Tofu comes in three different textures: silken (very soft), firm (firm but not hard), and extra firm (very firm).
For General Tso’s Tofu, I recommend that you choose a firm or extra-firm tofu. I used extra firm tofu in this recipe. The reason behind it is that firm/extra-firm tofu holds the shape and the batter coating well. To get the best results, ensure that excess liquid is squeezed out of the tofu so that it can become brown. Softer types of tofu aren’t recommended as they cannot hold their shape, making them more suited to stews and soups.
The Sauce Mixture
The sauce mixture is the key to holding this stir-fry dish’s spicy and sweet taste. The best sauce mixture for this recipe is made using a few basic ingredients, such as garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch, and vegetable stock.
Simply whisk these ingredients together. You can make the sauce mixture ahead of time as it can stay good for up to a week if you store it in an airtight container in your fridge.
Press the Tofu
If you have worked with tofu before, then you already know how much water the firm or extra-firm tofu can retain. Pressing tofu is essential to remove excess moisture/water that can prevent it from browning and help it absorb marinade flavors. There are several ways to do this:
To press tofu without weights: Drain liquid from the package and place the tofu on several layers of paper towels. Next, use your hands to press the tofu and squeeze out some water. Afterward, use a couple of sheets of paper towel to press the tofu to soak up more moisture.
To press tofu without weights: Another excellent way to press the tofu is to put some heavy objects like cans and books on top of it. You can place the tofu on a plate, cover it with some paper towels, top it with a cutting board and then place a weight on top of it. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then pat dry it before cooking.
If you’re looking for a chewy texture, then pressing is the best method.
How to Make General Tso’s Tofu
General Tso’s Tofu is super easy to make and can be made using a single pan.
To prepare G Tso’s Tofu, use the above-mentioned methods to press the tofu and squeeze excess water. Cut tofu into cubes and then transfer it into a bowl. Next, marinated it with soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch. This allows flavors to soak into your protein while also tenderizing it so that it cooks more quickly when you cook it later in the recipe!
Meanwhile, cut broccoli into florets and boil it with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes. By doing so, we can keep the broccoli bright green in color. Prepare a large bowl of cold water and ice, drain the broccoli florets, stir fry with minced garlic for two minutes, and then set it aside. I pair it up with this dish, by doing this gives this dish a vibrant look while also adding texture and flavor to the whole dish.
Then it’s time to fry the tofu. In a plastic bag, combine the tofu cubes with cornstarch and toss to coat. Toss the tofu cubes into a pan and fry until it is crispy and brown, then move them into a plate lined with a paper towel. After stir-frying minced garlic and dried red pepper, pour the sauce that you prepare into a wok and let it simmer until it thickens. Lastly, add fried tofu cubes and toss the mixture until each tofu piece is coated in sauce. Serve warm!
You can even use store-bought General Tso’s sauce if you don’t have time to make your own. I have seen regular US stores here sell it. Either way, it’s delicious!
Store and Reheat
You can store leftover General Tso Tofu in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. I don’t recommend freezing. You can reheat it in a skillet with a pinch of oil or in the microwave.
Conclusion
You should now be ready to make your own General Tso’s tofu, but if you are still unsure of what to do or have further questions, or even just have a simple comment about this post, leave a message in the comments section below! Happy cooking!
General Tso’s Tofu
Ingredients
For the tofu
- 2 blocks extra firm tofu drained weight of each block is 14 oz, cut into cubes
- 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 cup cornstarch
- vegetable oil for frying
For the General Tso sauce
- 1/3 cup vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6 cloves of fresh garlic minced
- 1 or 2 dried red chili peppers
- roasted sesame seeds for garnish optional
- green onions for garnish optional
Instructions
- Place the tofu on a plate, cover it with some paper towels, top it with a cutting board and then place a weight on top of it. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then pat dry it before cooking.
- Cut firm tofu into large cubes (about ½ inch). Pat dry with paper towels and set aside. Pour the marinade sauce over the tofu cubes and rest for 15 minutes. In a plastic bag, combine the tofu cubes with cornstarch and toss to coat
- Meanwhile, cut broccoli into florets. Bring some water (about 5 quarts) to a rapid boil with a couple of teaspoons of salt. Cook the broccoli florets for two to three minutes in boiling water. By doing so, we can keep the broccoli bright green in color. Prepare a large bowl of cold water and ice, drain the broccoli florets, stir fry with minced garlic for two minutes, and then set the food aside.
- Heat cooking oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add tofu pieces, working in batches if necessary, so as not to overcrowd the pan, and lower the heat if the oil begins to smoke. Cook until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer cooked tofu pieces to a plate lined with paper towels when they are brown. Repeat this process with the remaining tofu pieces until all of them have been fried.
- Heat cooking oil in the wok and add in the minced garlic and dried red pepper until fragrant, pour in all the sauces, and let it simmer until thickened.
- Add fried tofu cubes and toss the mixture until each tofu piece is coated in sauce.
- Garnish with green onions and roasted sesame seeds.
- Serve warm and enjoy!