Sticky Rips

Sticky Rips

This easy sticky rips recipe is the one we keep coming back to on busy weeknights. Crispy torn tofu coated in a punchy tamarind, peanut butter, and Sriracha sauce, ready in 20 minutes flat. You rip the tofu by hand so you get all those jagged edges that grab the sauce and go golden in the pan. Pile it into baby gem leaves with chilli, spring onion, and a squeeze of lime and you've got something that feels like a proper treat. Honestly, make this tonight.

Cook: 20 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Mixing bowl
  • Small bowl
  • Frying pan
  • Tongs
  • Whisk
  • Microplane or fine grater

Ingredients

  • 2 x 280g packets of extra firm tofu
  • 4 tbsp cornflour
  • vegetable oil
  • 1cm piece of fresh ginger
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp plant-based fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp Sriracha
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 100ml water
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 pack of baby gem lettuce
  • 1 red chilli
  • 2 spring onions

Method

1

Prepare the tofu rips

  • Rip the tofu into long chunks and place into a mixing bowl
  • Add the cornflour and a good pinch of salt and pepper
  • Toss to completely coat the tofu pieces
2

Cook the tofu

  • Add enough vegetable oil to a frying pan to be 1cm deep
  • Heat the pan over a medium heat until the end of a wooden spoon bubbles gently
  • Once warm enough, add the coated tofu chunks to the pan and fry, turning constantly with tongs until golden and really crispy (approx 10 mins)
  • Once cooked, transfer the tofu pieces to a plate lined with kitchen paper and leave to drain
  • Drain the oil out of the pan and wipe out
3

Make the sauce

  • Peel the garlic clove and the knob of ginger
  • Whisk the peanut butter, tamarind paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, sriracha, brown sugar, water and juice of half the lime juice together in a small bowl to combine
  • Heat the frying pan over a low heat with the oil and add the garlic and ginger to toast for 1 minute
  • Pour in the sauce and add the tofu rips, mixing to coat in the sauce
4

Assemble the san choy bow

  • Separate the baby gem leaves and arrange on a plate
  • Slice the red chilli
  • Finely slice the spring onion | Slice the remaining lime into wedges
  • Spoon the tofu rips into the lettuce cups and finish with the sesame seeds, spring onion and chilli slices

Tips & Variations

  • Press your tofu well: The drier the tofu before it hits the pan, the crispier it gets. Press each block for at least 10 minutes wrapped in a clean tea towel.
  • Don't crowd the pan: Cook the tofu in batches if you need to. Too many pieces at once and they steam instead of crisping up.
  • Sauce timing: Add the sauce off the heat first, then return the pan to a medium heat and toss fast. It goes sticky quickly so keep it moving.

Why This Works

Ripping the tofu instead of slicing it is the whole game here. Those rough, uneven edges crisp up way better than a clean cut ever would, and they hold onto every bit of that sticky sauce. The tamarind brings a deep sourness that balances the peanut butter and Sriracha so nothing tips too sweet or too hot.