Try this Spicy Crispy Tofu recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 15.3908816336374 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 10.5262041213449 g
- Fiber 0.167195273763515 g
- Protein 0.0813710402448407 g
- Saturated Fat 0.846528788715421 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (33g)
- Sodium 2.16121058724416 mg
- Sugar 15.2236863598739 g
- Trans Fat 0.455883515627374 g
- Calories 156 calories
Step-by-step
- Drain your tofu and cut it into 8 even pieces. Place a couple of paper towels down on a plate or cutting board and lay out your tofu. Place a couple of paper towels on top. They idea is that you’re drying it out slightly – you’re not pressing it, just removing some excess moisture. Pressing removes most of the moisture from tofu, which is NOT what we want here. Leave it a bit moist, this ensures a soft and creamy tofu interior that will contrast with the crunchy potato starch coating.
- Spread your potato starch out in a shallow dish and coat each piece of tofu, ensuring that there are no bare spots.
- In a cast iron pan, heat up a bit of oil over medium high heat. You don’t need a bunch of oil here, just maybe about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons. When the oil is hot and shimmery (you can test it with an uncoated wooden chopstick – when the oil is hot bubbles will form around the chopstick), add the coated pieces of tofu and cook until golden brown and crispy. Time wise, this can vary, but tofu is quite forgiving as it doesn’t brown easily. When one side is brown, flip it over and repeat. Rest tofu on a wire rack (this ensures crispiness) while you make your sauce.
- In a small sauce pan, heat up the sriracha, honey and lime juice over medium high heat until slightly reduced and glossy. Drizzle over the tofu pieces and top with sliced green onions. Enjoy immediately!
Standard preparation often involves heavy pressing that strips moisture entirely from the bean curd, resulting in a rubbery texture that fails to satisfy. Leaving a small amount of internal moisture behind creates a stark contrast between a crunchy exterior crust and a steaming, custard-like interior. Selecting medium block tofu rather than firm varieties helps maintain this desirable moisture level naturally without requiring specialized kitchen weights or lengthy draining intervals.
The Physics of Potato Starch and Pan Frying
Coating each piece thoroughly with potato starch establishes the barrier required for deep crunch, as potato starch yields a distinctly bubblier, crisper surface than cornstarch upon contact with hot fat. Heating the oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat until shimmering allows the coating to set immediately upon contact. Testing the oil temperature with a wooden chopstick provides a reliable visual cue: when small bubbles cluster rapidly around the immersed wood, the thermal threshold is optimal for frying without burning the starch.
Post-Cooking Maintenance and Sauce Application
Resting fried foods on wire racks rather than flat paper-lined plates prevents steam from condensing underneath, which preserves the structural integrity of the crust until serving time. Simmering the sriracha, honey, and lime juice in a separate saucepan until slightly reduced concentrates the sugars and acids into a glossy lacquer that coats the exterior without softening the starch barrier.
