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I posted a video for this recipe a couple of years ago and it’s still one of the most viral things I’ve ever made — and with good reason.
This tofu dish can come together in 5-10 minutes — seriously. The hardest part is finding some hot rice to accompany it. And, despite its red hue, this dish is actually pretty mild. Sichuan peppercorns don’t contain capsaicin, which is what we typically associate with “spice” in western cooking, and the chili powder used in this recipe is mild. So even if you’re not a spice head, you can give this recipe a try! It’s also my favorite type of vegan meal — that is, it just happens to be vegan in its normal state without any modifications 🙂
Special Ingredients
Silken Tofu
Silken tofu is a special type of tofu that undergoes a different manufacturing process than the “standard” tofu you’re probably thinking of. Instead of compressing soy curds together, silken tofu is actually a single curd. This process results in a super silky, smooth texture — not dissimilar from flan. While silken tofu can be found at just about any Asian market, I recommend buying it from a Chinese or Japanese market, as I find these options are higher quality. Depending on the amount of selection at your market, you may see similar “soft, medium, and firm” designations on silken tofu packs, or you may not. If you don’t see any of these designations, you can just go with what’s available — it’s typically “soft”. Be careful when handling silken tofu as it’s quite delicate and can break apart easily (which is what makes it fun to eat).
One cool thing about silken tofu is that due to the manufacturing process, there are actually a couple of manufacturers (one based locally in Los Angeles) that sell shelf-stable silken tofu. I make sure to always keep a couple packs of these on hand because they’re great for emergencies or when I’m too lazy to go the store. On the specific day I made this recipe most recently, I only had a yuzu flavored version of this tofu available. Despite being nervous about the flavor combo, I actually may have liked it more than the regular version, so feel free to try it out for yourself if you happen to stumble upon that flavor.
If you don’t have any Asian markets near you, you can buy the normal flavor of silken tofu here.
Black Vinegar
Black vinegar is commonly eaten in Chinese cuisine — you may know it as the sauce served alongside xiao long bao or soup dumplings. It has a very distinctive, full-bodied flavor that is quite different than any other type of vinegar, but you can use other varieties in a pinch. The best substitute would be rice vinegar, followed by white vinegar, and apple cider vinegar (though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the latter two).
If you don’t have any reliable Chinese markets nearby, you can buy black vinegar here (this is the brand I use).
Chili Powder
I get a lot of questions about what type of chili powder should be used in this recipe and the answer is: “normal” chili powder — that is, use the type of chili powder that you can get at any old American grocery store under the label “chili powder.” Avoid using Korean style chili flakes/powder, or gochugaru, as the flavor profile is quite different.
Sichuan Peppercorns
These are what give Sichuanese food its distinctive ma flavor, or numbing spice. Combined with “normal” spice, called la, you achieve what’s known as mala.
These peppercorns are commonly found in the dry goods aisle of any Chinese grocer, but can also sometimes be found at Japanese grocery stores. I’ve also had good luck finding them at Cost Plus world Market in a pinch. They’re also sometimes called prickly ash. Otherwise, you can buy some Sichuan peppercorns here.
To grind these, you can use a pepper mill, a spice grinder, or a mortar and pestle — whatever works, really!
Chinese Sichuan Chili Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 block firm silken tofu see notes
- 2 green onions finely sliced, including the whites
- 2 tsp chili powder see notes
- 1/2 tsp sichuan pepper corns ground or crushed
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil like grapeseed or canola
- 1.5 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp black vinegar see notes
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil optional
- sesame seeds optional, for garnish
- hot rice optional
Instructions
- Prepare your tofu by draining off any liquid, placing it on a heat proof serving plate, and gently patting it (mostly) dry with a paper towel.
- Sprinkle about half of the green onion (prioritizing the white parts) on top of the tofu and gently spread the slices evenly across. Sprinkle the chili powder on top of the green onions and again gently spread it evenly across the top so there are no big piles/lumps. Sprinkle the Sichuan chili pepper pieces across the top.
- Heat the oil in a small pot on the stove, just until it starts to "shimmer" or until you see the first tiny wisp of smoke. Immediately remove from heat and very carefully pour the hot oil over the top of the tofu, doing your best to make contact with all the toppings and not leave any dry patches.
- Drizzle the top of the tofu with soy sauce and black vinegar. Sprinkle remaining green onions on top.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and/or sesame oil, if using. If using sesame oil, a little goes a long way so you only need a tiny drizzle.
- Serve immediately alongside rice or noodles.
Notes
- Silken tofu is a style of tofu that's processed a little bit differently than "standard" tofu. The process for making tofu is a bit like making cheese. In standard tofu, manufacturers will mix the soy curds and then drain and compress them, like cheese. Silken tofu, on the other hand, is actually just a single curd, and the resulting texture is ultra soft and custardy — a bit like flan. Depending on your local Asian market, you'll sometimes find "soft", "medium", and "firm designations for your silken tofu, but sometimes you won't. "Normal" silken tofu with no firmness designation tends to be quite soft so just be careful when handling it.
- I happened to use a yuzu flavored tofu for this recipe recently because it's what I had on hand, and despite my hesitations it actually ended up going quite well with the other flavors. I'd recommend it if you can find it!
- The chili powder used in this recipe is an "American" style or standard chili powder, not to be confused with Korean style gochugaru or chili flakes.
- While black vinegar has a distinct taste that makes this dish taste really good, rice vinegar will work in a pinch. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar are not recommended, but may also work — they'll just change the flavor profile so you'll need to taste and adjust to your liking.