Andrea Nguyen's Spicy-Sweet Fried Tofu Buns

If you have roughly 45 minutes to spend in the kitchen, Andrea Nguyen's Spicy-Sweet Fried Tofu Buns might be a spectacular dairy free, lacto ovo vegetarian, and vegan recipe to try. One serving contains 1111 calories, 29g of protein, and 28g of fat. For $3.21 per serving, you get a main course that serves 4. 117 people were impressed by this recipe. It is brought to you by Serious Eats. A mixture of garlic, thai chile, cilantro, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so delicious. Overall, this recipe earns a solid spoonacular score of 51%. Try Andrea Nguyen's Silken Tofu and Edamame Soup, Andrea Nguyen's White Tofu, Sesame, and Vegetable Salad, and Andrea Nguyen's Saag Soy Paneer for similar recipes.

Servings: 4

 

Ingredients:

Canola oil for deep-frying

4 ounces medium-hot red chiles, such as Fresno, mostly seeded (according to taste) and coarsely chopped

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro stems

1 generous tablespoon chopped cilantro, leafy tops only

1 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon light (regular) soy sauce

About 1/3 cup potato starch

2 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

1/8 teaspoon salt

12 Chinese folded buns, fresh or thawed

1 1/3 cups sugar

Thai Sweet Chile Sauce

14 to 16 ounces firm tofu

2 cups water

2 cups very hot or just-boiled water

About 1 3/4 cups distilled white vinegar

Equipment:

sauce pan

food processor

sieve

bowl

mortar and pestle

baking paper

pot

paper towels

chopsticks

skimmer

stove

wok

Cooking instruction summary:

Procedures 1 For the Chile Sauce: Put the cilantro stems and water into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover. Let steep for 20 minutes. 2 Meanwhile, use a small food processor to grind the garlic, chiles, and salt to a coarse texture. Set aside. 3 Strain the cilantro liquid through a mesh strainer. Measure the liquid. You should have about 1 3/4 cups. Transfer to a saucepan, preferably a shallow, wide one. Pour in the same quantity of vinegar as you have of cilantro liquid. Stir in the sugar and mixture of chile and garlic. 4 Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat and simmer until the volume has reduced by half; the amount of time this takes depends on the size of your saucepan. The resulting sauce should be slightly thick. Coat the back of a spoon and run your finger through it; the line should hold for only a few seconds. The sauce will thicken more and concentrate in flavor during cooling.Remove from the heat and set aside, uncovered, to cool completely. Use immediately or transfer to a jar and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using. 5 For the Buns: Cut the tofu crosswise into 2 blocks, then cut each block crosswise into 6 chunky matchbooks, each about 1 1/2 inches by 2 inches by 1/2 inch. Put all 12 pieces of tofu in a bowl. Dissolve 1 1/2 of teaspoons salt in the hot water, then pour over the tofu to cover. Set aside for 15 minutes. 6 Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the Thai sweet chile sauce with the soy sauce. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of it in a saucer or small dish that you can later dunk the tofu into. Set aside.In a small food processor, grind the peanuts, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt to the texture of coarse cornmeal. (Or, use a mortar and pestle.)  Transfer to a small bowl and set near the sauce. 7 Before frying the tofu, bring a pot of water to a boil to reheat the buns. Line 2 steamer trays with parchment paper and add the buns. Steam the buns over gently boiling water until soft, fluffy, and hot to the touch, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat but keep the lid on to ensure that the buns remain soft and warm. 8 Pour off the water from the tofu, then transfer the pieces to a non-terry dishtowel or double layer of paper towels placed atop a plate. Let drain for about 15 minutes. 9 Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of oil in a wok or saucepan over high heat to between 360° and 370°F. As the oil heats up, blot excess moisture from the tofu. Because the starch can turn gummy if it sits too long on the tofu, wait until the oil temperature approaches 340°F before dredging each piece of tofu in the potato starch to coat well. Shake off excess starch, then set aside on a plate near the stove.When the oil is ready, fry the tofu in 2 or 3 batches, sliding the pieces into the oil, then gently stirring with chopsticks or a skimmer to fry evenly and prevent them from sticking. They should be very crisp after 2 to 3 minutes. It’s okay if they get just slightly golden. Drain the fried tofu on a paper towel. Return the oil to temperature before frying another batch. 10 For each bun, press one side of a piece of tofu into the saucer of sweet chile sauce, then put the tofu into the bun, sauced side down. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of sauce on top of the tofu, then add a sprinkling of cilantro, then about 3/4 teaspoon of peanuts.Serve the buns immediately, while the tofu is still warm and chewy-crisp. Let guests add extra sauce to their buns as they wish.

 

Step by step:

For the Chile Sauce

1. Put the cilantro stems and water into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Remove from the heat and cover.

3. Let steep for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, use a small food processor to grind the garlic, chiles, and salt to a coarse texture. Set aside.

5. Strain the cilantro liquid through a mesh strainer. Measure the liquid. You should have about 1 3/4 cups.

6. Transfer to a saucepan, preferably a shallow, wide one.

7. Pour in the same quantity of vinegar as you have of cilantro liquid. Stir in the sugar and mixture of chile and garlic.

8. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat and simmer until the volume has reduced by half; the amount of time this takes depends on the size of your saucepan. The resulting sauce should be slightly thick. Coat the back of a spoon and run your finger through it; the line should hold for only a few seconds. The sauce will thicken more and concentrate in flavor during cooling.

9. Remove from the heat and set aside, uncovered, to cool completely. Use immediately or transfer to a jar and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.


For the Buns

1. Cut the tofu crosswise into 2 blocks, then cut each block crosswise into 6 chunky matchbooks, each about 1 1/2 inches by 2 inches by 1/2 inch. Put all 12 pieces of tofu in a bowl. Dissolve 1 1/2 of teaspoons salt in the hot water, then pour over the tofu to cover. Set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the Thai sweet chile sauce with the soy sauce. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of it in a saucer or small dish that you can later dunk the tofu into. Set aside.In a small food processor, grind the peanuts, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt to the texture of coarse cornmeal. (Or, use a mortar and pestle.) 

3. Transfer to a small bowl and set near the sauce.

4. Before frying the tofu, bring a pot of water to a boil to reheat the buns. Line 2 steamer trays with parchment paper and add the buns. Steam the buns over gently boiling water until soft, fluffy, and hot to the touch, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat but keep the lid on to ensure that the buns remain soft and warm.

5. Pour off the water from the tofu, then transfer the pieces to a non-terry dishtowel or double layer of paper towels placed atop a plate.

6. Let drain for about 15 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of oil in a wok or saucepan over high heat to between 360° and 370°F. As the oil heats up, blot excess moisture from the tofu. Because the starch can turn gummy if it sits too long on the tofu, wait until the oil temperature approaches 340°F before dredging each piece of tofu in the potato starch to coat well. Shake off excess starch, then set aside on a plate near the stove.When the oil is ready, fry the tofu in 2 or 3 batches, sliding the pieces into the oil, then gently stirring with chopsticks or a skimmer to fry evenly and prevent them from sticking. They should be very crisp after 2 to 3 minutes. It’s okay if they get just slightly golden.

8. Drain the fried tofu on a paper towel. Return the oil to temperature before frying another batch.

9. For each bun, press one side of a piece of tofu into the saucer of sweet chile sauce, then put the tofu into the bun, sauced side down. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of sauce on top of the tofu, then add a sprinkling of cilantro, then about 3/4 teaspoon of peanuts.

10. Serve the buns immediately, while the tofu is still warm and chewy-crisp.

11. Let guests add extra sauce to their buns as they wish.


Nutrition Information:

Quickview
1110k Calories
28g Protein
27g Total Fat
184g Carbs
6% Health Score
Limit These
Calories
1110k
56%

Fat
27g
43%

  Saturated Fat
1g
12%

Carbohydrates
184g
62%

  Sugar
83g
93%

Cholesterol
0.0mg
0%

Sodium
1254mg
55%

Get Enough Of These
Protein
28g
58%

Iron
34mg
189%

Vitamin C
45mg
56%

Fiber
5g
23%

Manganese
0.41mg
20%

Calcium
189mg
19%

Vitamin E
2mg
18%

Vitamin K
18µg
18%

Vitamin B6
0.35mg
17%

Vitamin B3
1mg
9%

Potassium
313mg
9%

Copper
0.17mg
9%

Magnesium
31mg
8%

Vitamin A
378IU
8%

Phosphorus
74mg
7%

Vitamin B1
0.08mg
6%

Folate
18µg
5%

Vitamin B2
0.06mg
4%

Selenium
2µg
4%

Zinc
0.39mg
3%

Vitamin B5
0.25mg
3%

covered percent of daily need
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Food Trivia

The fig is also a fertility symbol and the Arab association with male genitals is so strong that the original word 'fig' is considered improper.

Food Joke

The Passover test [My thanks to Jeff G for the following] Sean is waiting for a bus when another man joins him at the bus stop. After 20 minutes of waiting, Sean takes out a sandwich from his lunch box and starts to eat. But noticing the other man watching, Sean asks, "Would you like one? My wife has made me plenty." "Thank you very much, but I must decline your kind offer," says the other man, "I’m Rabbi Levy." "Nice to meet you, Rabbi," says Sean, "but my sandwiches are alright for you to eat. They only contain cheese. There’s no meat in them." "It’s very kind of you," says Rabbi Levy, "but today we Jews are celebrating Passover. It would be a great sin to eat a sandwich because during the 8 days of Passover, we cannot eat bread. In fact it would be a sin comparable to the sin of adultery." "OK," says Sean, "but it’s difficult for me to understand the significance of what you’ve just said." Many weeks later, Sean and Rabbi Levy meet again. Sean says, "Do you remember, Rabbi, that when we last met, I offered you a sandwich which you refused because you said eating bread on Passover would be as great a sin as that of adultery?" Rabbi Levy replies, "Yes, I remember saying that." "Well, Rabbi," says Sean, "that day, I went over to my mistress’s apartment and told her what you said. We then tried out both the sins, but I must admit, we just couldn’t see the comparison."

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