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A tasty, saucy, and aromatic Sweet Chili Tofu with Curry Leaves. Stir-frying freshly picked curry leaves with green onions and garlic releases and adds so much flavor and aroma to this tofu recipe.
The sauce is a balance of sweet, spicy, and savory that perfect compliments the aromatics. Serve this with steamed rice for a really satisfying meal.
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
You can find the full detailed recipe in the card below! It’s printable too!
TOFU
- 1 lb extra firm tofu or tokwa
SAUCE
- 1 tbsp doubanjiang or Chinese spicy broad bean paste, see notes
- 1/4 cup room temperature water
- 1/2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp chili oil or chili sauce, adjust to desired heat
FOR COOKING
- 2-3 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 1 green onion thinly sliced – white and green parts separated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4-5 springs fresh curry leaves
- Green onions thinly sliced
TO SERVE
- Steamed rice
COOKING THIS SWEET CHILI TOFU WITH CURRY LEAVES
PREPARE THE TOFU
- Remove the tofu from the water and drain from any excess water. You can press the tofu by wrapping this in a kitchen or paper towel and placing a heavy weighted object on top.
- Slice the tofu into 1/2-inch thick pieces and then into horizontally into sticks before cutting into small cubes. Mine were around 1/4-inch cubes. You can opt to slice your tofu in any other shape or even grate/crumble the tofu. I wanted small cubes for mine so it could easily be scooped with the rice as a rice meal.
MAKE THE SAUCE
- Mix all the ingredients together and feel free to adjust to your desired spice and taste.
PAN-FRY THE TOFU AND STIR-FRY THE OTHER INGREDIENTS
- Heat a large wok or pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp oil.
- Pan-fry the tofu until lightly brown and crispy. Do not overcook since the tofu can easily become tough.
- Move the tofu to the side of the pan.
- Add 1 tbsp oil and then sauté the green onion and garlic for 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add the curry leaves and stir-fry on medium high heat until translucent. Mix everything with the tofu.
POUR THE SAUCE AND LEAVE TO COOK
- Mix the sauce well to make sure the corn starch has not settled at the bottom.
- Over medium heat, pour the sauce into the tofu. Mix well and allow the sauce to thicken to a glaze from the sugars, around 1-2 minutes.
- Taste the tofu and feel free to adjust the seasoning and add more chili sauce, if desired. Mix in the chopped green onions.
ENJOY!
- Serve while hot with a bowl of steamed rice. Enjoy!
MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Kung Pao Tofu
- Pineapple Cashew Tofu Stir-Fry
- Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
- Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
- Tofu “Chicken” Teriyaki
- Korean Spicy Braised Tofu
- Tofu Katsu
- Pan-Fried Tofu Cakes
- Tofu ‘McNuggets’
- Tomato and “Egg” Stir-Fry
Sweet Chili Tofu with Curry Leaves
A tasty, saucy, and aromatic Sweet Chili Tofu with Curry Leaves. Stir-frying freshly picked curry leaves with green onions and garlic releases and adds so much flavor and aroma to this tofu recipe. The sauce is a balance of sweet, spicy, and savory that perfect compliments the aromatics. Serve this with steamed rice for a really satisfying meal.
Ingredients
TOFU
- 1 lb extra firm tofu or tokwa
SAUCE
- 1 tbsp doubanjiang or Chinese spicy broad bean paste, see notes
- 1/4 cup room temperature water
- 1/2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp chili oil or chili sauce, adjust to desired heat
FOR COOKING
- 2-3 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 1 green onion thinly sliced – white and green parts separated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4-5 springs fresh curry leaves
- Green onions thinly sliced
TO SERVE
- Steamed rice
Instructions
TOFU
- Remove the tofu from the water and drain from any excess water. You can press the tofu by wrapping this in a kitchen or paper towel and placing a heavy weighted object on top.
- Slice the tofu into 1/2-inch thick pieces and then into horizontally into sticks before cutting into small cubes. Mine were around 1/4-inch cubes. You can opt to slice your tofu in any other shape or even grate/crumble the tofu. I wanted small cubes for mine so it could easily be scooped with the rice as a rice meal.
SAUCE
- Mix all the ingredients together and feel free to adjust to your desired spice and taste.
PAN-FRYING
- Heat a large wok or pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp oil.
- Pan-fry the tofu until lightly brown and crispy. Do not overcook since the tofu can easily become tough.
- Move the tofu to the side of the pan.
- Add 1 tbsp oil and then sauté the green onion and garlic for 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add the curry leaves and stir-fry on medium high heat until translucent. Mix everything with the tofu.
POUR THE SAUCE
- Mix the sauce well to make sure the corn starch has not settled at the bottom.
- Over medium heat, pour the sauce into the tofu. Mix well and allow the sauce to thicken to a glaze from the sugars, around 1-2 minutes.
- Taste the tofu and feel free to adjust the seasoning and add more chili sauce, if desired. Mix in the chopped green onions.
- Serve while hot with a bowl of steamed rice. Enjoy!
Notes
DOUBANJIANG
- I would really recommend you use doubanjiang or Chinese chili broad bean paste for this recipe since it has a distinct umami flavor from the broad beans.
- If you really cannot find doubanjiang in your local Asian store or online, you can opt for Korean chili paste or gochujang. Since doubanjiang is saltier, you may need to season the tofu with more soy sauce if needed, to taste.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg
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