General Tso's Tofu

General Tso's Tofu

This one is genuinely one of our all-time favourites. General Tso's Tofu is the kind of takeaway-style dinner that makes you wonder why you ever picked up the phone to order in the first place. The tofu gets this incredible crispy outside and chewy inside, then it's coated in a sauce that's sticky, sweet, spicy, and a little bit tangy all at once. Served over jasmine rice that's been brewed with a tea bag and star anise, it's got layers of flavour that feel way more impressive than the effort involved. Make this tonight and you will not regret it.

Cook: 25 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Marinate tofu for 10 minutes
  • Frying pan
  • Saucepan with lid

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tbsp cornflour
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 x 280g block of firm tofu
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 150g Jasmine rice
  • 300ml cold water
  • 1 Jasmine tea bag - or jasmine flower
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp cane sugar - or coconut or brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp dried Szechuan Chillies - or chilli flakes
  • chives garnish

Method

1

Marinate the tofu

  • Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes and put it in a bowl with the soy sauce and apple cider vinegar
  • Toss to coat
  • Set aside for 10 minutes
2

Meanwhile, make the jasmine rice

  • Rinse the rice under cold water for 1 minute
  • Tip into the saucepan and pour over the water
  • Add the tea bag or jasmine flower, star anise and salt
  • Cover and bring to the boil
  • Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and leave covered for about 12 minutes while you fry the tofu
3

Fry the tofu

  • Drain the tofu, setting the marinade aside for the sauce
  • Put the tofu in a clean bowl with the cornflour and toss to coat
  • Place the frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil
  • Fry the cubes in the hot oil until golden brown, then transfer to the plate lined with kitchen paper
  • Turn off the heat and leave the hot oil in the pan
4

Make the sauce

  • Peel and finely slice the garlic and add it to the tofu oil in the pan (it should sizzle and start to go brown)
  • Measure all the other sauce ingredients into a bowl
  • Pour in the leftover marinade
  • Whisk until smooth
  • Spoon a couple of large spoonfuls of starchy water from the top of the rice pan into the bowl
  • Turn the heat on to medium and pour in the sauce
  • Stir until it starts to thicken
  • Toss in the tofu and stir to coat
5

Serve 

  • Fluff up the cooked rice with a fork and spoon it into bowls
  • Top with the tofu
  • Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and dried Szechuan chillies or chilli flakes, snip over the chives and serve

Tips & Variations

  • Press your tofu well: The drier the tofu going into the marinade, the crispier it'll get when it hits the pan. Wrap it in a clean tea towel and press it under a heavy pan for even just 10 minutes and you'll really notice the difference.
  • Adjust the heat: We like ours with a decent kick but if you're cooking for people who aren't big on spice, just dial back the chilli or leave it out entirely. The sauce is still absolutely delicious without it.
  • Make it your own: Ian loves adding a big handful of tenderstem broccoli or pak choi to the pan towards the end of cooking. It bulks the whole thing out and gets nicely coated in that sticky sauce, which is never a bad thing.

Why This Works

The trick here is the marinade. Letting the tofu sit in soy sauce and apple cider vinegar for just 10 minutes before cooking seasons it all the way through and helps it crisp up brilliantly in the pan. The jasmine rice is another thing we're quietly obsessed with, because brewing it with a tea bag and star anise gives it this fragrant, slightly floral depth that makes the whole bowl taste restaurant-level good.