Tofu is great, okay!

In the age of home delivery and late-night orders, one often gets detached when it comes to trying something new, something out of one's comfort zone. Since our favourite topic happens to be food (rich food), how to devour it, make it and enjoy it, why not come out of your comfort zone? Why not make something healthy on your own? Why not tofu? You do not have to be a vegan to enjoy tofu.

Before you start typing an angry email or jump into the comment section with your pitchfork stabbing against the soft, moist, and tender tofu, hear us out! It is not that bad; in fact, it can be delicious if prepared properly. Yes, we are sure that the thought has crossed your mind to have it in private, because who wants to be roasted by colleagues who only like rich food? Pay no heed to them!

Here is the easiest tofu recipe for lunch that will make your colleagues concede to the awesomeness of tofu!

Sweet and Sour Tofu

One of the all-time favourite comfort dishes in the tofu community is this sweet and sour tofu! The sweet and sour is absolutely wonderful, and the tofu is crisp, with the ideal texture! It comes together quickly and works great for dinner preparation as well!

Ingredients

For the crispy tofu —

• 500gm tofu block (firm), pressed and torn into 1 to 2-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup corn-starch
• ¼ cup oil for frying

For sweet and sour sauce —

• ½ cup sugar (brown or granulated)
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• ½ cup chopped/cubed pineapple
• ½ medium red onion, chopped
• ½ tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish
• Chopped spring onion for garnish

Method

For crispy tofu —

Place the pieces of chopped and diced tofu in a medium-sized mixing dish. Toss in the soy sauce to coat. Toss in the garlic powder, sea salt, powdered black pepper, and cornflour to fully blend, making sure that all of the tofu pieces are coated in the seasonings and cornflour.

Heat the oil in a pan or wok over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the tofu and toss to crisp up on all sides for 5 to 8 minutes or until the tofu is cooked and crisped on all sides. If desired, you can perform this in bunches. Remove the tofu and set it aside.

For sweet and sour sauce —

Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the onions, pineapples, and bell peppers to the same pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are transparent and the pineapples are slightly caramelised. Whisk together the sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water, soy sauce, and garlic powder for the sweet and sour sauce in a separate bowl until well blended. Pour the sauce over the vegetables. Bring to a gentle boil, then drop to low heat for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Return the crisped-up tofu to the pan and swirl to incorporate. Taste and adjust with extra sugar or soy sauce as desired. Remove from the heat and set aside until needed. Remove from the pan and sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve and have fun!