Tofu And Stir Fried Vegetables In Hot Schezwan Sauce

60 mins

Serves 5 people

Author: Rajni Ram

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Any Tofu lovers? I agree its an acquired taste,but going by the health benefits it has to offer, I try including it in my diet now and then.

Tofu is a plant based milk product that comes from the milk of Soya beans, it is also called Bean curd. There are different kinds of Tofu based on their texture, such as- silken, soft, firm and extra firm. Depending on the dish we make the tofu is chosen. Popular dishes with Tofu include Soups, stir fry, and curries.

Tofu has zero percent cholesterol and is a weight watchers delight, because it is protein dense and less in carbohydrates. It is also considered to be a good source of iron and calcium.

So how do we take away the blandness? Obviously by marination. Tofu requires a little more time than Paneer ( Cottage Cheese) to marinate. So, I plan ahead when I want to cook my tofu dish. I prefer Tofu as a stir fry or as part of mixed vegetables in a sauce.

I usually prefer to make this dish with fried rice as the Schezwan sauce base of this dish is the perfect pairing for the fried rice. I usually use a homemade Schezwan sauce made the traditional way using Chinese five spice, but for this particular recipe I have used Ching’s secret Schezwan Rice masala. Since I am using a ready made masala the work gets done a little sooner, so it is perfect for my after work dinners.

While you are here check out other Indo- Chinese recipes on the blog like- Vegetable Manchurian with gravy, Schezwan fried rice with Soya chunks, Cauliflower Fried rice, Chinese Paratha, Orange Cauliflower, and more…

Here is the recipe for Tofu and stir fried vegetables in hot Schezwan sauce

Ingredients

Tofu 200 gm cut to cubes
Green chillies 4 (divided)
Garlic 10 cloves (divided)
Ginger 1 inch piece (divided)
Assorted vegetables 1.5 cups ( I used capsicum, carrot,purple cabbage, spring onion, baby corn, Red bell peppers, all cut lengthwise).
Ching’s Secret Schezwan Rice Masala 1/2 packet
Chings secret Schezwan sauce/chutney 1 tsp
Soya sauce 1 tsp
Vinegar 2 tsp
Salt as required
Sugar 1 tsp
Water as required
Cornflour 1/2 tbsp
Sesame seeds 1 tsp
Oil for sauteing

In a blender take green chillies(2), garlic(4 pods), ginger(1/2 inch), Soya sauce and Vinegar, and blend. (Picture not inserted). In a pan take some Oil for sauteing the Tofu. Drop in the tofu cubes when oil id hot and stir fry until they have a brown coating.
Now pour the blended sauce into the tofu and continue to stir fry, until all the sauce is absorbed by the Tofu pieces and they turn dry. Transfer to a plate and keep aside.
In the same pan take some more oil. When hot add the chopped garlic, green chillies and ginger and fry for 30 seconds. Now add the Spring onion(both greens as well as bulb), and saute. Further add the capsicum, carrot, cabbage and saute.
Add the salt and sugar, and continue to stir fry until the vegetables are done, but are still firm.
In a bowl take the corn flour, Chings Schezwan masala powder, and any remaining sauce used for trying the tofu, and make a slurry by mixing them in 1/2 cup water. Pour this slurry into the stir fried vegetables, add another 1/2 cup water, Schezwan sauce or chutney and stir everything together very well.
Finally add the stir fried Tofu pieces and cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and sprinkle some sesame seeds. Enjoy hot with some Fried rice.

In a blender take green chillies(2), garlic(4 pods), ginger(1/2 inch), soya sauce and Vinegar, and blend. In a pan take some Oil for sauteing the Tofu. Drop in the tofu cubes when oil id hot and stir fry until they have a brown coating. Now pour the blended sauce into the tofu and continue to stir fry, until all the sauce is absorbed by the Tofu pieces and they turn dry. Transfer to a plate and keep aside. In the same pan take some more oil. When hot add the chopped garlic, green chillies and ginger and fry for 30 seconds. Now add the Spring onion(both greens as well as bulb), and saute. Further add the capsicum, carrot, cabbage and saute, add the salt and sugar, and continue to stir fry until the vegetables are done, but are still firm. In a bowl take the corn flour, Chings Schezwan masala powder, and any remaining sauce used for trying the tofu, and make a slurry by mixing them in 1/2 cup water. Pour this slurry into the stir fried vegetables, add another 1/2 cup water, Schezwan sauce or chutney and stir everything together very well. Finally add the stir fried Tofu pieces and cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and sprinkle some sesame seeds. Enjoy hot with some Fried rice.

Notes:

Tofu can be easily swapped with Paneer in this recipe.
The vegetables used here are completely customizable.
This recipe has been cooked with store bought sauce. To make homemade Schezwan sauce, click here.
I served the Tofu and stir fried vegetables in hot Schezwan sauce, with Gobi fried rice.