Living in the US, it seems to me that cooking with tofu is all about staying on a vegetarian or vegan diet. It is totally different in China. Growing up, we ate a lot of tofu because it’s lower in cost and the dishes are delicious. Like this crispy tofu with garlic sauce. It was one of my favorite snacks growing up, often served with bubble milk tea. Sounds weird enough? The classic combination is from Hong Kong bubble Tea branch, RBT. It is the earliest Hong Kong style dessert and drink store opened in Beijing back in the 90s. And it was one of my favorite places to hang out after school and on the weekend. Every time, I’d order a bubble tea with a different topping. But for the snack, the fried tofu with gravy was always the first thing I ordered. The original crispy tofu snack is deep fried until crispy and golden. It is then served in a brown sauce that is garlicky and slightly sweet.
When making this dish at home, I prefer to use a lazier method and bake the tofu instead of deep-frying. If you try it once you’d be surprised how amazing the tofu turns out. The golden tofu chunks will puff up and turn chewy and crispy, with a texture very close to fried tofu. And the best part? You don’t need a single drop of oil! I wouldn’t mind sprinkling some sea salt and snacking on these little cubes by themselves, but the garlic sauce just makes everything better.
The sauce only takes 5 minutes to make and uses a couple of ingredients that you already have in your cabinet. The finished sauce is just like the original version I used to have in the Hong Kong chain store—sticky, savory, garlicky, and slightly sweet. Once you try this recipe, you won’t need to convince your kids or husband to eat tofu anymore. They’ll finish a block in one sitting 😉
Cooking video
I’ve created this short video for you, so you can easily get an idea of the workflow. For more Chinese cooking videos and easy dinner ideas, follow my YouTube channel!
More delicious tofu recipes
General Tso Tofu (Crispy Tofu without Deep Frying) Authentic Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) Braised Tofu with Shrimp Bok Choy stir-fry with Crispy Tofu
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
