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Chinese Five-Spice Tofu with Noodles

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  • Author: Somi Igbene
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 2
  • Category: Lunch/Dinner
  • Cuisine: Chinese-inspired

Description

This Chinese-five spice tofu is big on flavour, yet kind to your waistline!


Ingredients

Scale

200g noodles (egg, rice or wholewheat)

For the tofu
200g firm tofu
40g plain flour
50ml unsweetened almond milk (or your preference)
¾ teaspoon Chinese five spice
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of salt, to taste

For the sauce
1 teaspoon olive or groundnut oil
2 large spring onions, chopped finely (white parts only)
3 tablespoon finely sliced red and green bell peppers
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon shaoxing rice wine (or rice wine vinegar)
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons cornflour slurry (combine equal parts of cornflour with warm water)

To garnish
Sesame seeds
Chopped coriander


Instructions

  • Squeeze out any water in the tofu then dice the tofu into medium pieces and set aside. Combine the flour, almond milk, spices and salt in a medium bowl then coat the tofu pieces in the batter. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  • In the meantime, line a baking tray with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the tofu on the baking tray and bake for 25 minutes or until crispy then set aside and keep warm.
  • While the tofu is cooking, combine ketchup, sriracha, light and dark soy sauce, rice wine, garlic powder, ginger and honey in a bowl to form a thick sauce. Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat, once hot, add the spring onions and mixed peppers. Fry for 1-2 minutes or until softened taking care not to burn them. Stir in the sauce with around 4 tablespoons of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes then the corn flour slurry and tofu into the pan. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes on a low heat to allow the tofu absorb the sauce. Adjust the seasoning as necessary and if the sauce gets too thick, lighten with warm water.
  • Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, split in half and transfer into two deep bowls. Spoon a generous amount of the sauce over the noodles, garnish with sesame seeds and chopped coriander.
  • As always, enjoy! If you try the recipe, don’t forget to come back and let me know what you thought.

Notes

Enjoy this with rice instead of noodles and swap tofu for mushrooms, chicken or prawns if you prefer.