Salt & Pepper Tofu

For the most part, this recipe is a mixture of The Woks of Life’s recipe and the Made with Lau recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 block firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes.
  • 1 medium bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 scallions, whites and greens separated and thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp. taiopca starch, cornstarch, or potato starch
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • ¾ tsp. salt
  • ¾ tsp. ground white pepper (preferably freshly ground)
  • ¼ tsp. sand ginger powder
  • ¼ tsp. ground Sichuan peppercorn (preferably toasted and freshly ground)
  • ¼ tsp. MSG
  • Neutral oil for deep-frying

Procedure

  1. Boil tofu in a pot of salted water for about 4 minutes. Drain in a collander and let cool a bit.
  2. Mix the spices, salt, and MSG together.
  3. Place tofu in a single layer on a plate. Mix half of the spice mixture together with the starch and flour. Sprinkle the tofu with this mixture. Turn around, and keep sprinkling, to try to form an even coating.
  4. Heat oil to 400°F. Add tofu. Let the tofu fry for a minute or so undisturbed
  5. Begin to move tofu around to make sure it fries evenly. Fry tofu until golden brown, around 5 minutes. Remove tofu and let excess oil drain.
  6. Heat wok, and add about 2 tbsp. of oil from the deep-frying oil. Stir-fry garlic, peppers, and onion whites for about 30 seconds, then add tofu and stir-fry for another 20 seconds or so, sprinkling in rest of spice mixture.

Last updated 2026-05-23