By Rachel
When I was in college, my Aunt Deecy introduced me to this wonderful little Thai restaurant with the absolute BEST fried tofu. Even for those who are tofu-phobic, keep reading because you can't deny that no matter what the food is, if it's fried, it's probably worth trying. Every once in a while I crave this but can't find anything close to it in Ann Arbor...so I decided to make my own and surprisingly it came out really good! The peanut sauce is so tasty - and the tofu crunch is really complimented by the sweet and spicy flavor of the dip.
For the fried tofu:
1 block/package extra firm tofu
4 Tbs flour (more as needed for coating tofu pieces
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Pinch of cayenne - optional
Cilantro - for garnish, optional
For the peanut sauce: (make this first)1/2 cup peanuts1/4 cup water1 clove garlic, minced/pressed1/4 tsp soy sauce1 tsp sesame oil1 Tbs brown sugar1 Tbs fish sauce1 Tbs lemon or lime juice1 tsp chili sauce1/3 cup shredded coconut To make the sauce:Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until relatively smooth.
To make the fried tofu:
Drain the tofu and place between several layers of paper towel or real towel and press to soak up as much liquid as you can (the less wet the tofu the better it will fry). Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch slices then slice those in half again. In a flat bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne and salt.
Fill a sauce pan with enough canola oil to cover a slice of tofu (if you are unsure you can always add more canola oil if your first piece isn't totally covered). Heat the oil to medium and cover (hot oil is HOT watch out!).
Working with about four slices of tofu at a time, roll a piece in the flour mixture and place it in the hot oil for about 4 minutes or until golden brown. I say to work with four at a time because you don't want the pieces to stick together while frying. Remove fried pieces with a slotted spoon and set on paper towel until all the pieces are done. Serve with the sauce you made and a garnish of cilantro, which adds great flavor!
1 block/package extra firm tofu
4 Tbs flour (more as needed for coating tofu pieces
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Pinch of cayenne - optional
Cilantro - for garnish, optional
For the peanut sauce: (make this first)1/2 cup peanuts1/4 cup water1 clove garlic, minced/pressed1/4 tsp soy sauce1 tsp sesame oil1 Tbs brown sugar1 Tbs fish sauce1 Tbs lemon or lime juice1 tsp chili sauce1/3 cup shredded coconut To make the sauce:Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until relatively smooth.
To make the fried tofu:
Drain the tofu and place between several layers of paper towel or real towel and press to soak up as much liquid as you can (the less wet the tofu the better it will fry). Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch slices then slice those in half again. In a flat bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne and salt.
Fill a sauce pan with enough canola oil to cover a slice of tofu (if you are unsure you can always add more canola oil if your first piece isn't totally covered). Heat the oil to medium and cover (hot oil is HOT watch out!).
Working with about four slices of tofu at a time, roll a piece in the flour mixture and place it in the hot oil for about 4 minutes or until golden brown. I say to work with four at a time because you don't want the pieces to stick together while frying. Remove fried pieces with a slotted spoon and set on paper towel until all the pieces are done. Serve with the sauce you made and a garnish of cilantro, which adds great flavor!
