Tofu Steak in Garlic sauce. Beautiful and crispy from the outside, and buttery soft from the inside, these tofu steaks are super saucy and flavorful. In addition, fragrant garlic sauce with a hint of spice takes this beautiful dish to the next level. This dish is also vegan and super easy to make.
I just love garlic and always try to explore more flavor combinations to enhance the flavor. Garlic always makes any type of dish more flavorful. It's super fragrant and makes any type of dressing or sauce just irresistible. In short, magic happens when you use garlic in the kitchen.
In addition, tofu is a staple in my kitchen, and I love to cook with it. It's super quick and easy to make, an amazing source of protein for vegans and vegetarians like us, as well as affordable. I use organic super firm tofu and it's easily available in all the big superstores.
Tofu does not have its own taste and it's super absorbent. Hence, I love how it absorbs any type of sauce or flavor, and it makes the dish super delicious. For me, it's a comfort dish when paired with sticky jasmine rice. I love to enjoy tofu which has the perfect combination of spicy, sweet, and umami flavors.
How to Prepare Tofu for this Dish-
Well, that depends on your preference. I love to coat tofu with cornstarch/cornflour dusting. Remember it should be thin and in a really low amount. Shake off all the excess flour before deep frying, air frying, or baking. Many people prefer to use tofu without it. Feel free to use it just like that after pressing it under the tofu press or with a thick layer of paper towel.
I just love the texture of fried or air-fried tofu. It's crispy from the outside and has a melt-in-the-mouth texture from the inside. If you have not tried making crispy tofu, then you should definitely try this dish.
Why Tofu Steak?
Here I have sliced the tofu into long strips. However, you can always use your own shape and preference. Tofu steaks look pretty, that's it. I wanted them to look like a beautiful vegan alternative of steak for my audience, hence the shape.
How to Deep Fry Tofu-
Heat a pan/wok over high heat. I use avocado oil for my deep frying needs but you can use any oil of your choice. I will suggest using some neutral oil which is suitable for frying.
Always add tofu when your oil is hot enough, that way the tofu does not absorb much oil. In addition, do not over crowd the pan and wok. Leave tofu pieces in the oil for 3-4 minutes and remove them onto a paper towel after they turn golden.
Shallow frying involves flipping them and so does air frying. Air fry them at 400 f after spraying with oil. It will take around 4-5 minutes for very crispy and 2-3 minutes for the moderately crisp outer skin. However, your time can vary depending on your tofu pieces and air fryer.
How to Make the Garlic Sauce-
Fine chopping/mincing of ginger, garlic, green chili, and scallions is needed for this dish. Most Asian dishes involve this base of aromatics and it's easily available in our pantry and fridge.
Sauce preparation mostly involves two steps. The first step is always chopping all the aromatics and herbs and the second step is to mix all the sauces and condiments in a bowl. Whisk them and keep everything near the gas stove. This step ensures quick cooking which is the key to making any good Asian dish.
Heat the wok at a high temperature. Add oil and when it's hot, add garlic, ginger, green chili, and scallion to it. Then, stir it for 30 seconds. Let them change their color. The oil will be fragrant by now. After that, add the sauce mix and cook it for one minute.
Either drizzle this sauce over your crispy fried tofu or mix tofu and sauce in the wok. I prefer the latter one. This makes sure that the tofu is simmered and has soaked all the flavor from the sauce, which makes the dish super delicious.
What to Serve With Tofu Steaks in Garlic Sauce-
You can eat this by itself or serve it with some sticky rice. Basmati rice or brown rice can be served too. If you want to avoid carbs you can serve this with steamed or stir-fried vegetables. You can serve them with Veg Thai Fried Rice as well.
You may also want to check out these other tofu dishes of mine which are quite popular among readers-
Tofu with Sichuan PepperCorn and Chili
Tofu Steak in Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 13 Oz Extra Firm Tofu
- Oil for frying /Shallow frying
- 3 Tbsp Corn starch/Corn Flour
- Pinch of crushed black pepper
- Pinch of himalayan salt
For Aromatics/herb Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp oil of your choice
- 2 Tbsp Chopped /MincedGarlic
- 1 Tbsp Chopped/Minced Ginger
- 1 Tsp Chopped Green Chili
- 1 Tbsp Chopped scallion/Green Onion
For Sauce
- 3 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Red chili Sauce(reduce the quantity if you do not like spicy taste)
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- ½ Tsp Brown Sugar
- ½ Tsp Chili Flakes
- 1 Tsp Rice wine VInegar
- 2 Tbsp Warm water
For Garnish
- Green onion /scallion
Instructions
- Press the extra firm tofu with tofu press or thick layers of paper towel.Once dry ,cut into 1 inch or 1.5 inch strips.
- Lightly coat tofu with dry corn starch /flour .Shakeoff the excess corn flour.
- Deep fry or air fry them till they look golden and crispy .
- While tofu is frying /Air frying ,mince/chop all the garlic ,ginger ,green chili,and green onion /scallion. Mix all the sauces.
- Remove the tofu from the oil .Drain the excess oil by using paper towel.
- In the same pan or in a clean pan take 1 tbsp of oil ,and heat it .
- Once hot saute garlic ,ginger ,green chili ,scallion .Stir them for around 30 second to one minute.They will look light brown and caramalized.
- Now pour in the sauce and mix with all the aromatics.Add warm water and let it cook for 30 seconds after that.
- Add fried tofu with the sauce and make sure all the tofu pieces are coated with sauce.
- Garnish with scallion and serve over jasmine rice or just like that.
- Enjoy.
sorry, what is "red chile sauce"? is it sambal olek?
Hi Kevin,
You can use sambal olek however I have edited the recipe and mentioned sriracha or schezwan sauce.
Regards
Any hot
Thanks!