Are you down for another #meatlessmonday meal? Black Pepper Tofu got me all excited. GAH! We seriously couldn’t stop eating these crispy little nuggets of pan-fried tofu that later get tossed in a peppery brown gravy made with aromatics like shallots, garlic, ginger, but with a little spice too from chopped fresno chilis. And just to give it a little something extra, chopped scallions on top to give it that POP of color and flavor. And friends, this recipe is all about the pantry staples. Which is clearly becoming a trend on LSJ. We likey. My black pepper tofu sauce is all about the flavor. Meatless does NOT have to mean flavorless. Basically when you sauté shallots, garlic, ginger, and chili peppers, you expect demand something extra fabulous. And crispy bits of tofu tossed in a deep dark black pepper sauce that’s got some spice and is savory but sweet and peppery at the same time is all I can think about right now. Mind you, I just finished my lunch. And now that i’ve got you all hyped up about a tofu stir fry, let’s talk about how I get those little nuggets of tofu crispy that way. Its as simple as a block of extra firm tofu – anywhere between 12-14 ounces is fine. Make sure you get extra firm because that’s the only kind of tofu i’ve been able to get as crispy as I like it for this recipe. Side note: why, oh why, do tofu blocks not come in 1 pound packages? I mean, seriously! Wouldn’t that just be sooo much easier? Okay, tofu packaging rant over. Along with the tofu you need 1 heaping tablespoon of cornstarch. I’ve had readers comment on some of my other tofu stir fry recipes that they’ve tried arrowroot powder and it’s worked for them, rice flour will work as well. A couple tablespoons of oil and salt is all we need. My tofu pieces has a nice golden color to it, which I get from adding in an 1/8 teaspoon of chili powder. This is purely optional! But if you eat with your eyes first, like I do, it adds some nice color to the dish! As always, press as much water out of your tofu as possible before coating it in the cornstarch mixture. Back when I was just dabbling with tofu, I used a couple of tea towels set on top/under the tofu with a few plates on top and a couple of cans from the pantry. Now that i’ve succumb to a full fledged love affair with tofu stir frys, i’ve invested in something called the tofu press. It will seriously change your tofu game my friend. And it takes much less time to squeeze the water out than the old tea towel method. Now for that pepper sauce that MAKES this black pepper tofu all that and a bag of chips. I’m lazy when it comes to mixing so I do this in a mason jar because a bowl and whisk some how, in my mind, add up to more dishes. It’s a little light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce, peppercorn medley, brown sugar, and rice vinegar along with water and cornstarch to thicken. The peppercorn medley is just a combination of red, white, green, and black peppercorns. I usually buy them whole and just run them through my spice grinder or with a mortar and pastel. Just be sure to grind it extra fine if you don’t like bits of peppercorn running through your sauce or if you’re cooking for little ones. Combine everything and just let it hang out while you press the tofu. This black pepper tofu stir fry is delicious as dinner and the leftovers are always welcome for lunch around here. In fact, about 15 seconds after I was done shooting this recipe, I dived in! Lots of savory, lightly crispy, completely saucy bites of tofu on a bed of white rice. You could also do brown rice, tofu stir fry on its own, or on a bed of zoodles or swoodles (sweet potato noodles, you like?) TALK ABOUT WINNING! Black Pepper Tofu Stir Fry to make your Monday alllllll better! 🙂
Note that this stir fry is a little spicy! As in it warm pretty warm wit the two fresno chilis + peppercorns. If you aren’t a fan of spice, i’d suggest starting with 1 chili and removing the seeds/ribs to make it more mild. You can also cut back on some of the black pepper to preference!Oyster sauce is also known and ‘oyster flavored sauce’ and is usually available in most Asian grocery stores. ‘Oyster flavored sauce’ usually is imitation flavored and not made from real oyster. If vegan, check the labeling before purchasing!I usually buy a whole pepper medley that contains white, red, green, and black peppercorns. Just run them through the spice grinder/ mortar and pestle under they are a coarse ground. If you don’t want bits of pepper throughout the meal, you can also do a fine ground!
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