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Sticky tofu with brown rice and fresh chilli in a bowl.
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Sticky Szechuan Tofu

Sticky tofu with a vegan Szechuan sauce makes for an amazing midweek dinner. It only takes 20 minutes to cook and minimal effort! It uses actual Szechuan peppercorns that complements a sweet and spicy sauce to make a delicious Szechuan tofu dish.
Course Dinner, Side
Cuisine Chinese
Diet Vegan
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 310kcal
Author Jess & Dan

Ingredients

  • 400 g extra-firm tofu – chopped into cubes
  • 1.5 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 3 cloves garlic – crushed
  • 1 tablespoon ginger – chopped finely
  • 0.5 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 0.25 cup light soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoon maple syrup or vegan honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Instructions

  • Start by sealing and browning the tofu by frying in a splash of oil or in an air fryer, then set aside until later.
    400 g extra-firm tofu
  • In a frying pan or wok, toast the Szechuan peppercorns over a medium heat. This should take a couple of minutes and you don’t need to use any oil (doing so would hinder the process!).
    1.5 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
  • Tip the peppercorns into a pestle and mortar (or a spice grinder) and then crush the peppercorns until they turn into a coarse powder. Set aside for later.
    1.5 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
  • Pour the sesame oil into a wok or frying pan, and place over a high heat. Fry the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes for a minute.
    1 tablespoon sesame oil, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 0.5 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • Add the crushed peppercorns, soy sauce, maple syrup and rice wine vinegar. To make it easier, you can place the liquids along with the crushed peppercorns into a jar and shake or stir it, then simply pour it all into the wok.
    0.25 cup light soy sauce, 4 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • Make sure the liquid is bubbling away in the pan for 5 minutes. It will start to thicken and become gloopy after 5 minutes.
  • Toss in the tofu and coat in the sauce, let it bubble away for another 3-5 minutes until the sauce is sticky and it clings to the tofu.
  • Serve straight out of the wok while it is piping hot, with brown rice, sesame seeds and maybe even a side of stir fry vegetables.

Notes

  • Make sure to use extra-firm tofu or to press firm tofu before cooking.
  • Browning off the tofu first helps the sauce stick to the tofu.
  • Use tamari in place of the light soy sauce to make this dish gluten free.
  • Try adding in a handful of sugar snap peas and baby corn to make it a better balanced meal.
  • You can actually tailor the amount of Szechuan peppercorns based on how you would like the sauce to taste. Use 1 - 2 teaspoons, based on what you like. We think the best flavour is with 1.5 teaspoons.
  • Best served fresh. We don’t recommend freezing. It keeps well in the fridge for upto 3 days. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave and serve piping hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1759mg | Potassium: 502mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 149IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 3mg