How to make easy and crisp outside, soft insides Chinese salt and pepper tofu.
Tofu is believed to be healthy and tasteless and it is so hard to cook. But you can’t image how Chinese loves tofu and how many ways to cook tofu in Chinese cuisine. This is the simplest one — pan-fried crispy tofu with salt and pepper. Around 1 week ago, I made a lovely batch of tofu at home and then I want to make a small ground of recipes introducing how I cook tofu in my daily cooking, ranging from soups, pan-fried tofu and this wonderful salt and pepper tofu.
Chinese salt and pepper is slightly different from the familiar salt and ground pepper. Instead we use Sichuan peppercorn and salt. Salt and Sichuan pepper is one of the most popular and famous Sichuan style mixed spice. But you can use any other mixed spices and mix it with salt. This one is really wonderful since it not only gets a crispy shell but also a soft tender soft inside quite like the tofu puff.
Cook’s Note
- I recommend using regular tofu (not extra-firm )to make salt and pepper tofu. Since we have a super out surface. Water content inside helps to make the inside more tender.
- In order to get a crispy outside and soft inside pan-fried tofu, the tofu should be thicker. Thicker tofu can form a very good crispy and soft comparison and prevent taste from drying.
- Chinese Peppercorn salt is mainly Sichuan peppercorn and salt. But you can use black pepper or make a mix based on personal preference.
Ingredients
- 1 block regular tofu
- 3 tbsp. cooking oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced chopped
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1/2 cup potato starch
Cut tofu into small cubes and then coat with a thin layer of starch.
Heat oil in wok and slowly fry the tofu blocks until crispy and slightly browned. Potato starch can create a very lovely thin and fluffy shell.
Remove extra oil, only leave around 1 tablespoon of oil in pan, fry garlic, scallion and chili pepper until aromatic. Return tofu and sprinkle salt and pepper. Toss well.
Other salt and pepper yummy dishes
Other tofu dishes
Salt and Pepper Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 block regular firm tofu , not super soft or firm
- 3 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil
- 1 scallion , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 fresh chilis , cut into small circles
- 1/2 cup potato starch
Salt and pepper mix
- 1/2 tbsp. salt , or to taste
- 1 tbsp. Sichuan peppercorn
Instructions
- Cut tofu into small cubes and then coat with a thin layer of starch.
- Heat oil in wok and slowly fry the tofu blocks until crispy and slightly browned.
- Remove extra oil, only leave around 1 tablespoon of oil in pan, fry garlic, scallion and chili pepper until aromatic, turn off the fire. Return tofu and sprinkle salt and pepper. Toss well.
Video
Nutrition
This is an excellent recipe. I adjusted it with some mushrooms, cremini and brown beech mushrooms and diced zuchinni, because we had extra vegetables to use up. It was great! You bring things down to their essence, and don’t embellish needlessly with soy sauce or msg, which I appreciate. Keep it up!
Thanks Patrick for the supportive feedback. Glad you like it! I will definitely make more excellent recipes live on the blog.
Hi, hopefully you’ll see my message even though this recipe has been up a while!
I’m a bit confused about the spice mix. Do you mix together the salt and sichuan pepper, and then anything else (black pepper, cumin etc.) is optional? Or are those rather replacements if you can’t get hold of the sichuan pepper?
Thanks in advance for letting me know! 🙂
The Sichuan style salt and pepper contains salt and Sichuan pepper. Cumin is optional for lamb and beef.
Hi there – I’m assuming it isn’t the case in China, but showing chopsticks sticking up into food is considered highly offensive/taboo (reminiscent of incense sticks for the dead) in other Asian countries (i.e Japan), so I wanted to let you know if you really had no idea about this. Thanks.
Hi,
Thanks for the information. I really have no idea since we don’t have this custom in China. I will avoid this in future.
Made this today. Really quick simple but full of flavour.
Thanks
Thanks Ken. This is my second favorite tofu dish following Mapo tofu.
Can I use corn starch?
Yes, corn starch can work fine for this recipe.
I loove your site and your recipes, it is beautiful and easy to follow
Thanks Charis! Big hug!
I love this food,thanks for sharing
I have had a packet of my first tofu waiting in the fridge for me to cook. I had no idea what I was going to do with it until I saw your recipe.Thank you for sharing the recipe it was lovely to try something different,even my picky eater partner enjoyed it. Stay safe during this difficult time x
Thanks Marianne! This really is very lovely tofu dish since it is different from regular tofu dishes.
Made this tonight to go with my gin ? it was so simple and delish however I wish i hadn’t coated the tofu 30mins before I got around to cooking it… some bits of coating got goopy and thick. It was still super yum and only a few bits were overly thick. Just wanted to let people know to coat then cook straight away! I used corn starch.
One question… how many serves is this?
Thanks for a super quick yummy dish! I will get potato starch and try again ?
It should be serve 2-3 people along with other dishes. Chinese serving size is very different. So no struggling, just enjoy!
Thin layer of starch? Do you mean cornstarch? It’s not listed in the ingredients though?
Thelma,
I use potato starch to coat the tofu. But you can use cornstarch too.