ramyaramesh3007These saucey, spicy and slight sweet fried cubes of tofu are the perfect Indo-Chinese fusion inspired dish.
This Tofu Manchurian is saucey and chewy with the right amount of sweetness and spice. The fried tofu cubes are tossed in a sticky sauce and served with scallions. You can serve this with rice or noodles.
Indo-Chinese cuisine combines the culinary traditions of India and China – making it the perfect fusion of bold, spicy and tangy flavours.
Common Ingredients: Ingredients commonly used in Indo-Chinese cuisine include soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and a variety of Indian spices such as cumin, coriander, and garam masala.
Vegetarian Focused: Many Indo-Chinese dishes are vegetarian, reflecting the dietary preferences of many Indians – like Hakka Noodles, Gobi Manchurian, Schezwan Fried Rice, Hot & Sour Soup & Dumplings like Momos.
Ingredients You Need
- extra firm tofu – you definitely need extra firm tofu for this recipe for the best texture.
- red bell peppers – adds the perfect sweetness and crunch to the dish.
- aromatics – ginger and scallions (coriander to keep the recipe alliums free)
- sauces – soy sauces, sriracha, rice wine vinegar (omit dark soy sauce and use light soy sauce for gluten free option)
- spices – turmeric, chili powder, white pepper, red pepper flakes, hing
- flour – use chickpea flour for a gluten free option
Tofu Manchurian
Ingredients
Tofu Batter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or chickpea flour
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp rice flour
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- pinch hing
- 1/4 cup oat milk (or more to get the mixture thick, and not runny)
- oil for frying
Tofu Manchurian
- 200 g extra firm tofu
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
- 2-3 stalks scallions
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tsp sweetener
- 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
- 1-2 tsp chili flakes or 1 red chili chopped finely
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- salt to taste
- 2 tsp corn starch (+1/4 cup water)
Instructions
- Drain any excess water from the tofu by pressing it. Break them up into small chunks.
- Cut red bell peppers into squares.
- Add all the ingredients for the batter into a bowl and mix them. Add 1/4 cup of water to get a smooth and thick paste. Add more if required.
- Add the tofu chunks into the mixture and coat evenly. You can coat them one by one too.
- Heat up some oil to fry. Fry until golden and crispy and drain the excess oil with a paper towel.
- In a wok or large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the minced ginger, chillies (if using) and white part of scallions. Sauté for a minute until fragrant.
- Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sriracha, sweetener, and salt (if needed). Mix well. Add chili flakes and dark soy sauce.
- If using bell peppers, add them now and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce, stirring continuously until it thickens.
- Add the fried tofu cubes to the sauce and gently toss to coat them evenly.
- Garnish with chopped spring onions.