Fried tofu is a popular Thai street food that is easy to make at home. Once fried the tofu has a crisp-chewy exterior and a soft center. The sweet chili peanut sauce is the perfect accompaniment, and the sauce is so good you'll want to dip everything in it!
If you're a tofu lover, also check out my recipe for mapo tofu. It's an easy weeknight meal and a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
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Fried Tofu w/ Sweet Chili Peanut Sauce เต้าหู้ทอด
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 350 g firm tofu
- Vegetable oil for frying
Sweet Chili Peanut Sauce
- 2 spur chilies, you can substitute other mild red chilies or ¼ of a red bell pepper
- 1 large clove garlic
- 3 Tbsp white vinegar
- 3 Tbsp tamarind juice
- 3 Tbsp water
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp palm sugar, chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
- Roasted chili flakes, to taste
- 3-4 tablespoon coarsely ground roasted peanuts
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
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Instructions
For the sauce: In a blender add chilies, garlic, water, vinegar and tamarind; blend until there are no more big chunks (doesn't need to be perfectly smooth) and transfer into a small pot. Add sugar, palm sugar, salt and chili flakes and simmer for 3-5 minutes to reduce until the dip is slightly runnier than ideal as it will thicken when cooled. Let cool completely, if you want the dip to be thicker, reduce it a bit more. Taste and adjust seasoning. When ready to serve stir in peanuts and cilantro.
For the tofu: Add oil to a wok or pot until it is deeper than the thickness of your tofu. Preheat the oil to 375 °F then fry tofu for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. If the tofu sticks to each other, let them fry until they just start to turn colour before pulling them apart, if you pull them apart before they've had a chance to firm up you may tear them.
Serve while still hot!
Adriane Hull says
Do you squeeze out the tofu to get more water out first and dry it out before frying?
TofuGirl! says
I really like the idea of salting the tofu before cooking as tofu needs a "little help" with flavoring. But that brought to mind other ideas of spicing the tofu before cooking with other spices. Powdered ginger, chile flake, white pepper, etc. Great idea for flavoring!
I noticed that the recipe calls for liquid tamarind but in the video you used a powdered version. I would love a little more information on the powdered tamarind. I think the powdered version would be easier to keep in my kitchen so would have loved to see a brand and/or more information as to what to look for in my local Asian grocery store.
Since I don't eat animal products, I will most definitly be making this lovely recipe.
Thank you so much!
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Hi, I think you may have been confusing it with a different video? I don't use powdered tamarind...i don't think I've ever used it in any of my recipes. So go ahead and use liquid tamarind 🙂
Tofugirl says
So I went back and looked at the video. At minute #1.26 you are spooning tamarind into the blender, 3 Tbs. I looked closer and I see that it is actually a liquid! I thought it was a powder you were spooning. My mistake and my apologies! The plastic container threw me off I think. So glad to clear that up and I will now look for the liquid prepared tamarind. Thank you for the clarification!
Fred says
Made this snack today and we loved it! Shallow-frying works as well. If you cut the tofu triangles not too thinly and fry them until (light) golden brown, you'll get the best texture (firm outside and rather soft inside). And the sauce is .............. simply wonderful! We are still meat lovers, but - if you know how - tofu can be very nice too.
Pam says
Sooo good! Love your YouTube videos! Your recipes are so easy to follow!
Much love from the Philippines xx
Adam The HTK Intern says
Yay! ... and love from here too 🙂 Adam