Ingredients
The following ingredients have 3 Servings
- 1 block (14 oz/396 g) soft or medium firm tofu (, cut into 1 cm thick triangles (Footnote 1))
- 1 cup vegetable oil (, for deep frying)
- 4 cloves garlic (, sliced)
- 1 " (2.5 cm) ginger (, thinly sliced into strips)
- 3 green onions (, cut into 1" pieces, white and green parts separated)
- 1 tablespoon doubanjiang
- 1/2 carrot (, sliced (about 1/3 cup))
- 1 bell pepper (, cut into 1” diamonds)
- 1 (8-oz / 226 g) can sliced bamboo shoots (, or 1 bamboo shoot, sliced (about 1/3 cup))
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce ((or soy sauce))
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vegetarian oyster sauce ((or sweet bean paste) (Footnote 2))
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons water ((or vegetable stock))
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instruction
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Add the slurry ingredients into a small bowl and stir to mix well.
- In a high-walled skillet or pot, heat the oil to 375°F (190°C). Carefully add the tofu. Fry until both sides turn golden, about 3 minutes. Flip once or twice to ensure even cooking. Remove the tofu from the oil and transfer it to a big plate.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan (alternatively, you can heat 1 tablespoon of oil in another large skillet).
- Add the garlic, ginger, green onion (white part), and doubanjiang to the pan. Turn the heat to medium. Stir fry to release the fragrance until the oil turns red, about 2 minutes.
- Add the fried tofu, carrots, bell peppers, and bamboo. Stir fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Pour in the sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, gently flipping occasionally. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the green onion (green part). Mix the slurry again so the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Pour in the slurry and mix with a spatula until the sauce thickens.
- Drizzle in a teaspoon of sesame oil to finish up.
- Serve hot over steamed rice as a main dish.
