A delicious recipe for spicy chili garlic tofu with vegetables that helps you cook lunch or dinner in a breeze! Use this Asian tofu recipe to make vegan tofu dinners like fried rice or noodles or simply add more vegetables and sauce to eat with plain boiled rice.
Pat the tofu dry with kitchen towels and break into large pieces. Roughly crumble with a fork or potato masher until you get small chunks. (note 2)
Chop the bell peppers into thin long pieces. Mince garlic and chillies.
Mix all ingredients for the sauce. (note 3)
Heat oil in a wok or wide pan. Stir-fry garlic and chillies until the oil is infused with the flavors and you get a nice aroma. Add the mashed tofu. Let it cook for 3 minutes undisturbed, then stir. This way all the moisture in tofu evaporates and it begins to brown. Once all of the tofu has browned uniformly, add bell peppers and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the sauce and toss until it coats all of the tofu and vegetables, for about 5 minutes. Garnish with green onions and serve with boiled rice and cucumber slices.
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Notes
There is no need to press tofufor this recipe. The moisture quickly evaporates when you stir-fry the crumbled tofu.
Do not mash the tofu all the way, we want it a little chunky.
If your sugar is coarse, it may not dissolve in the sauce. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water to the sugar, mix well until the sugar dissolves and then add the rest of the sauce ingredients.
To make scrambled tofu fried rice:I recommend short-grain white/brown rice. Use cooked rice that's a day old and has been refrigerated/ frozen. You will need 1-1/2 cups of rice for 4 servings. If you need step-by-step instructions for cooking rice, go to: red fried rice recipe.Double the amount of all ingredients (including those for the sauce) except tofu. Add rice at the end of step 4 (after frying the tofu and vegetables). Stir-fry for about 3 minutes before adding the sauce. Stir until well incorporated and turn off the flame. Garnish with green onions.To make tofu scramble noodles:Cook about 300 gms/ 10.6 ounces of noodles. Toss with a tablespoon of oil. Follow the same instructions as for rice. Add some sesame seeds at the end.Substitutions
Use any stir-fry vegetable in addition to bell peppers, like carrots, baby corn or bok choy. This recipe is for 1 cup of vegetables. If using more, increase the sauce, oil, chili and garlic accordingly.
If using vegetables like string beans, broccoli or babycorn, you need to blanch them first: Chop them into 2-inch long strips and plunge into boiling water. Bring the water to boil again and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Strain and use.
white sugar or palm sugar can be used instead of brown sugar in the sauce.