Baked or Fried Crispy Tofu with Sweet Scallion Sauce (Vegan Recipe)

This Crispy Tofu with a Sweet Scallion Sauce is one of our go-to ways to prepare tofu at home. For me it's really the sauce that brings it all together! My dad loves these so growing up my mom would make it and cook it before lunch or dinner. These are best enjoyed when freshly cooked so they're nice and crispy!

CRISPY TOFU RECIPE NOTES

• I used extra firm tofu since it's the easiest to work with and holds up well!
• You can opt to fry or bake the tofu
• This is best with the sweet scallion sauce but you can use any other dip of choice.
• You can enjoy these as-is or pair them with rice (which is my preferred way to enjoy these!)

BATTER

MIX TOGETHER:

• all-purpose flour 
• corn starch 
• baking powder
• salt
• room temp. water

TOFU COATING:

• Japanese breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs

COOKING AND PREPARING THE CRISPY TOFU

Press the Tofu

• Drain water from the tofu by wrapping them in paper towels and then placing a heavy flat surface (a board or plate) on top of each. Leave for 15 minutes until water has been absorbed by the towels. You can also op to use a tofu press. Slice the tofu into any shape you like but i sliced mine into rectangles.

Prepare the Batter and Coating

• In a bowl, mix the ingredients for the batter until it turns into a smooth, thick consistency. In another bowl or plate, add in the bread crumbs.
• One by one, dip each tofu into the batter then coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Coat well using one hand (this is to avoid messy hands—I usually use one hand for dry and one hand for wet when coating). Press down the bread crumbs on the tofu. Set aside once coated.
• Heat a pan (I used a cast iron pan) with some oil. Once hot (you can add in some bread crumbs to test the heat—it will start to bubble once hot), place the tofu and cook until golden brown, moving it around on each side every 2 minutes or so.
• Once golden brown, set aside on a strainer to drain excess oil or you can put this on a plate with paper towels. Let cool for a few minutes then enjoy with some sweet scallion sauce or your favourite dipping sauce!

Baking option

• Heat oven or oven toaster to 350F. Brush the tofu with a little oil. Bake them for 35-40 minutes or until crisp. Flip halfway through cooking.

Reheating tip

• Heat cooked tofu in an oven toaster at 350F for 4-5 minutes until crisp.

SWEET SCALLION SAUCE

• In a bowl, place the brown sugar. Add in the warm water and stir until the sugar particles have dissolved. Add in the soy sauce and chopped scallions/onions. Feel free to adjust everything to your taste. Mix well then enjoy as a dipping sauce!

Looking for more Vegan Asian recipes?

You can get a copy of my cookbook, Vegan Asian!

If you crave vegan-friendly versions of classic Asian dishes, this cookbook is packed with Southeast and East Asian dishes inspired by those I grew up enjoying at home and those I’ve tried from my travels. From iconic Thai dishes to piping-hot Japanese fare and everything in between, the recipes in this will take your palate on a delicious food trip across Asia, and hopefully keep you coming back for more!

You can also check out my other tofu recipes here or down below:

• Hakka-Style Stuffed Tofu
• Korean Spicy Braised Tofu
• Fried 'Chicken' and Gravy
• Tofu Katsu
• Nori-Wrapped Tofu in Spicy Sauce
• Maple Hoisin Tofu
• Orange Tofu
• Pan-Fried Tofu Cakes
• Tofu 'McNuggets'

If you make this recipe, please tag me on my Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #thefoodietakesflight :) 

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