Non-sizzling Spicy Tofu

Copyrights 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

This dish is a product of both curiosity and excitement rolled into one. My friend had been trying to find the time to meet with me for lunch and this was her agenda: Max's Sizzling Spicy Tofu. Now, as a person with gout, I try to minimize my legume consumption although tofu for some reason is not really as bad and is actually okay to eat when you have gout. My friend being a doctor gave me the thumbs up and so off we went. Both of us were really not into eating chicken that day so we started with another local dish, fresh and fried spring rolls filled with sauteed heart of palm. Our main dish for lunch however was the tofu dish. It actually took some time before it was served but boy was it worth the wait.

After I got home that day, I looked around to see if a recipe was available and there was indeed one but it did not have any exact measurements. I figured it won't be too hard to play around with since the main ingredients seemed to be just tofu, some spicy peppers and a white sauce. It was however disheartening to know that the white sauce was made from mayonnaise. I'm a big fan of mayonnaise but adding a ton of it in one dish seems perverse and defeats the purpose of why you are eating tofu in the first place. Thus, pushing any judgement aside, I went in for the kill, so to speak. A few things I did change included not using a sizzler so I pan-fried the tofu to a crisp. Also, I added less of the spicy Thai peppers and the ones that I did add were deseeded. 

Non-sizzling Spicy Tofu

2 blocks of firm tofu, sliced into eights
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup water
salt
white pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil + more for frying
sesame oil
2 tbsp margarine
2-3 green or red Thai chile, sliced diagonally

1. Heat enough oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fry the tofu until golden
    brown on both sides. Set aside and allow to cool. 

2.  When cool enough to handle, dice the tofu into half-inch squares. Set 
     aside. 

3. Heat 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a wok or a wide pan over medium heat.
    Saute the garlic and onions until softened. Season with salt. Add the 
    peppers and cook for about a minute.

4. In a small bowl, mix the water, mayonnaise and oyster sauce. Add to the 
    pan and cook until simmering. Add the tofu and mix well. Add more water 
    if the sauce gets too thick.

5. Add the margarine and mix until melted. 

6. Check for flavor and season with salt and a dash or two of the white 
    pepper. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve while hot.