5-Spice Fried Tofu Recipe

Tofu has been a staple in Chinese cuisine for centuries. It's a versatile and protein-rich food made from soybeans that can be used in a variety of dishes. A big part of tofu's versatility is the fact that it's neutral in taste and takes on the flavor of the spices and other ingredients it is cooked with. In this recipe, we are using Chinese 5-spice which is a unique blend of aromatic spices and includes star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Szechuan pepper, and fennel seeds which gives this tofu a whole lot of flavor. 

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "I make a huge variety of dishes with tofu and this recipe is one of my favorites. The sauce is thick and flavorful and paired with the crispy tofu it's always a winner. You can throw together a quick dinner by serving this tofu over rice or ramen noodles with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Once you try this recipe, it will definitely become a new favorite at your house."

To make this recipe you'll need a variety of items for the sauce and of course some tofu. "When you are buying the tofu, look for the type that is labeled 'super firm.' This is different from "extra firm" and has already been pressed," Hahn shares. Then we'll need some avocado oil, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, coconut sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sriracha, and Chinese 5-spice powder. "If you have an Asian store in your area, you can pick up the Shaoxing wine there along with the Chinese 5-spice powder or you can order those ingredients online. If you have mirin on hand, that can be used as a substitute for the Shaoxing wine," Hahn explains.

If you were able to find super firm tofu, you'll just need to dry it off after taking it out of the package. If you have extra firm tofu, you can press the water out by placing the unwrapped tofu in a shallow bowl, then placing a plate on top, and then stacking something heavy on top of the plate. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes and then discard the water that has collected in the shallow bowl. Then you can cut the tofu into thick cubes. We are going to be turning them one at a time in the frying pan, so bigger bite-size pieces will be less time consuming to flip.

The star of the show in this recipe is the thick and bubbly sauce. To make it, pull out a small bowl and mix the hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, coconut sugar, soy sauce, garlic clove, sriracha, grated ginger, and Chinese 5-spice powder. Set this aside.

To fry the tofu, go ahead and add the oil to a frying pan. Bring the heat to medium and add in the tofu in a single layer. We want to brown the bottom of the tofu before flipping each piece over. This will take about 5 to 8 minutes, so let the tofu sit undisturbed while it cooks. Now flip over each cube and cook for 5 to 8 minutes on that side. Remove the tofu from the pan and pour the sauce into the same pan and bring the heat to medium. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce starts to bubble.

Add the tofu back to the pan, stir to coat all the pieces in the sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes. The delicious, flavorful tofu is ready to serve. Now that you have the special ingredients for this tofu, you can whip it up any time you are craving some saucy Chinese cuisine!