General Tso's Tofu

Crispy tofu coated in a sticky Asian sauce with sesame seeds and scallion garnish

General Tso's Tofu is made with crispy baked tofu covered in sticky-sweet-slightly-spicy sauce! A healthier, vegan version of the popular Chinese takeout dish

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine asian, Chinese

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Servings

Calories 230kcal

Author Shinta

Ingredients

For the Baked Crispy Tofu:

300 grams firm tofu
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp Salt to season
1 tbsp sesame oil

For the General Tso’s Sauce:

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp minced ginger
3-4 cloves garlic minced
3 tbsp Brown Sugar I used light brown sugar
3 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp Cold water
1 tsp sesame seeds to garnish

Instructions

Prepare the baked Crispy Tofu:

Cut the tofu into cubes.
Either use a tofu press, or use a heavy kitchen pan to squeeze out excess liquid from the tofu. Place the cubes of tofu in between a wad of absorbent kitchen towels/kitchen paper. Place a heavy cast iron pan on top of the tofu, and let it rest for 30-40 minutes. This step will help the tofu crisp up better.
Preheat the oven to 180 C or 350 F while the tofu is being pressed.
Once the excess liquid is squeezed out, transfer the tofu cubes to a mixing bowl. Add cornstarch, sesame oil and salt. Toss to coat the tofu cubes evenly.
Spread them out on a lined baking sheet.
Bake the tofu at 350 F or 180 C for 30 minutes until you see the tofu starts to brown. Take out the pan and keep aside.

Prepare General Tso’s Tofu Sauce:

While the tofu is baking, prepare the General Tso’s sauce on the stovetop.
In a bowl, combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar. Keep aside.
In a skillet, heat sesame oil and add the minced ginger and garlic. Sauté until fragrant.
Add the sauces and lower the heat. Add a slurry of cornstarch mixed with cold water.
Stir with a wooden spatula until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat.
Now add the crispy baked tofu to the sauce in the skillet and give it a good stir. The tofu should be evenly coated with the sauce.
To serve, garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds.

Notes

Use firm or extra firm tofu for best results
For a spicier version, add your preferred hot sauce or Sriracha sauce.
Make sure you add cornstarch in moderation, and keep it under 3 tablespoons, as too much cornstarch can throw off the flavor of the crispy tofu.
For a gluten-free version of this dish, you can skip the cornstarch, and use Tamari instead of soy sauce.
Hoisin sauce is an essential ingredient for making General Tso's Tofu sauce, however, you can also make a similar sauce by mixing together miso paste with brown sugar and soy sauce.

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