This crispy black pepper tofu is smothered in spicy sauce stir-fried with sweet bell peppers and crispy celery. Serve over rice for a flavor-packed meal that's totally doable on a weeknight.
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus up to 1 additional tablespoon, to taste
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup cornstarch, plus more as needed
- ⅓ cup peanut oil, or as needed
- 1 pound super-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced (½-inch)
- 1 celery stalk, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
- Cooked rice
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Stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or container.
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Place the cornstarch into a small bowl.
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Generously coat the bottom of a wok (or large nonstick skillet) with peanut oil, adding enough oil for a depth of about ⅛ inch. Place the wok over medium heat.
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Place the tofu cubes into the bowl of cornstarch, a few at a time. Lightly dredge the tofu cubes in cornstarch, then transfer them to the wok, placing them in a single layer (Note 2).
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Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, flipping the pieces about halfway through, until the pieces are lightly browned and crispy. Transfer the pieces to a plate when they're done.
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If the wok still has a lot of oil in it at this point, carefully wipe most of it out, leaving a thin coating.
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Raise the heat to medium-high. Give the wok a minute to heat up, then add the bell pepper and celery. Stir-fry the vegetables for about 2 minutes, until they begin to deepen in color.
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Add the garlic, ginger, and white parts of the scallions to the wok. Continue stir-frying everything for about 30 seconds, until the aromatics become very fragrant.
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Return the cooked tofu to the wok, then carefully pour the sauce over the tofu and vegetables. Mix up the ingredients and continue stir-frying the mixture for about 1 minute, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the tofu and vegetables.
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Remove the wok from heat. Add the green parts of the scallions.
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Divide onto plates and serve with rice.
- Low sodium soy sauce can be substituted if you'd like a less salty dish or wish to reduce the sodium content.
- You can cook the tofu in batches if it won't all fit in one single layer.