I know what you’re thinking, but cast aside your worries and wipe that cringe off your face, you can trust me!
After all, I’ve only been a vegetarian since February!
Also, I’ve made this for a pot luck full of meat-a-tarians and it was devoured! (In truth, even I was shocked)
So last month, Ry (the bf) left town for a week to visit the motherland. Japan. He had ramen on street corners, ice cream cones the size of his head, sushi, sushi and possibly more sushi. Since I can’t compete with traditional Japanese food, and he was pretty much sick of the stuff, I decided to make one of his favorite dishes.
Orange Tofu.
Strange, right? I was totally skeptical the first time I googled it. But I did what any girl would do when her boyfriend tells her that one of the dishes he misses most from pre-veggie life is orange chicken.
I tofu-ed it.
I basically googled up a decent recipe, tweaked it some, and then battered the tofu and fried those soy blocks until they resembled perfect squares of chicken. The first time I made the sauce, it was BAD. As in, dump the entire pot down the drain bad. But I'm not one to give up so easily, so I tried it again.
I even blogged it. Although, that was before I was really blogging, so the instructions aren't detailed and there's only one photo! These days, I'm all about walking you through the steps.
It’s a bit time consuming, unless you’re one of those lucky people with a deep fryer. Since I am not (as previously griped about in the mac and cheese ball post) I went the shallow fry route.
Before you start that mess, though, you make magic happen. Orange sauce, from scratch! A lot easier than you’d think, actually.
Zest an orange, mince some ginger, slice green onion, and chop a garlic clove. Don't forget to pack the brown sugar when you measure it out:
Then get a pot and pour the shoyu, orange juice, and lemon juice in. Let that come to a simmer. Once it’s nice and combined, add in the brown sugar, ginger, green onion, orange zest and garlic and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
Optional: you can add about a teaspoon of garlic chili sauce here, for that kick. It’s noticeable, but not overbearing.
Now mix up the cornstarch and water, and pour it in slowly. Don’t be clumsy like me and slip and let the entire contents spill in.
The sauce will start to thicken. I like it when it’s runny, but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Some people like it thicker, and to each their own. Just go slow, and remember that the sauce will thicken up a bit more once it’s cooled.
While the sauce is doing its thing, get the tofu going. I like my tofu uniform, so I cut the block into 5 slices (on its short side) then I pressed them.
This is an important step whenever you cook tofu. Wrap the tofu in a napkin and press it down gently, draining the excess water. I usually use a couple napkins and pile the tofu up, layering the paper towels between the tofu.
Once that’s done, cut those slices into even pieces. The OCD takes over sometimes. Please feel free to make them any shape you like, hearts, stars horseshoes, clovers, even moons! Basically, whatever your heart desires. I've found blocks to be the easiest to fry, though. Clovers are a bit tricky.
Then prep the egg wash in one shallow dish and the flour/cornstarch mix in another one.
Dippity Dip time.
First in flour, then egg, then back in flour.
Into the fryer at 375 degrees, or in my case, the pan with an inch or so of heated oil.
Don’t be stingy with oil, you want it to hit at least the halfway point on the tofu, so that it cooks thoroughly on the sides.
Fry until golden, you’ll notice that as the batter cooks, the oil bubbles less. When it’s hardly bubbling, that’s the “flip me!” sign. Once both sides are done, drain them on a plate lined with paper towels.
Then douse them with the orange sauce and serve with rice.
The best part? Being able to take leftovers to work! (You can pack the sauce separately to avoid next-day mushiness.)
Here's the recipe:
For the Tofu:
- 1 block firm tofu
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- oil (for frying)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup flour
For the Orange Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 inch minced ginger root
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
In a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice and soy sauce. Once that’s nice and blended, stir in the brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, garlic and onion. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic chili sauce if you’re looking for something to liven things up. Just remember that a little goes a long way with this stuff, and tasting as you go is the smart move.
Combine 4 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water in another bowl and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Keep sauce on warm while you make the tofu.
Drain and cut tofu into 1 inch slices, then chop into about 2 inch pieces. Wrap and press with paper towels to remove excess water.
Combine flour, cornstarch and garlic powder in one bowl. Beat egg with salt and pepper in another. Dip tofu first in the flour mix, then in the egg mixture and back into the flour mixture to coat.
Deep fry tofu in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer (or shallow fry in a pan) until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Coat the tofu with the sauce and serve with rice, chopsticks and a smile knowing that you saved a chicken today!
Click here to download PDF version of this article, without pictures.
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