ramyaramesh3007This bite-sized street snack is crispy, addictive, dusted with spices and tossed with crisp basil leaves – it’s so popular in Taiwan for a reason!
Taiwanese fried chicken, also known as “Taiwanese popcorn chicken” or “salt and pepper chicken” emerged in Taiwan recently and quickly became a popular street food and night market staple!
The dish typically consists of bite-sized pieces of chicken (in this recipe, tofu), often marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, shaoxing wine and various spices, then coated in a flour mixture before being deep-fried until crispy. It’s often served with a dusting of seasoning, such as salt, pepper, or a blend of spices, adding a savoury and aromatic flavour.
In this recipe, we use frozen and thawed tofu to get a springy texture. This dish is entirely vegan and gluten free as we’ll be using tapioca starch to fry off the bites.
What Ingredients Do I Need?
- extra firm tofu – freeze the tofu overnight and thaw in microwave for about 2 minutes. Squeeze out and drain excess water to get a springy texture.
- light soy sauce and shaoxing wine – to marinate the tofu
- 5-spice powder – a blend of spices like star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns and fennel seeds
- white pepper – has a more milder and smoother flavour compared to black pepper
- corn starch
- tapioca starch
- thai basil leaves
- seasoning – 5-spice powder, white pepper, salt and paprika
Taiwanese Popcorn Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu 200-250g
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 2 tsp five spice powder
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 3/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1.5 cups thai basil leaves
Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp five spice
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five-spice powder, white pepper, salt and corn starch. Add the tofu pieces to the marinade and mix until well coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or up to 4 hours – overnight for best flavour.
- In a shallow dish or bowl, add tapioca starch. Heat oil in a pan.
- Remove the marinated tofu from the refrigerator. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture until evenly coated, shaking off any excess flour.
- Carefully lower the pieces into the hot oil, in batches, to avoid overcrowding the fryer. Fry for 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through, stirring occasionally for even cooking.
- Toss in basil leaves and fry until crisp.
- Once cooked, use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to remove the tofu from the oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- While still hot, mix together ground spices and sprinkle that over the fried tofu. Add fried basil leaves for extra flavour.
- Serve the Taiwanese popcorn tofu hot as a snack or appetizer.