Saucy bites.

Sweet-salty, sticky, and spicy- what's not to love? Today's recipe, features fried tofu cubes doused in a sauce that's just packed with flavor. Personally, anything with tofu is great because tofu IS the best. Just like chickpeas, tofu's a good source of protein and can be cooked in a lot of ways.  I mostly like tofu pan-fried because I like the crispy, crunchy texture then I pair it with a good sauce and maybe some veggies sometimes. 

Today, veggies are taking a break, although you can incorporate some here to bulk it up. Tofu's sauce today is a brown one that kind of reminds me of a fishball/squidball/kikiam dip (streetfood in the PH ftw!). It's sweet, spicy, garlicky, salty- it's full-packed.  I like how the sauce coats and complements the crunchy tofu cubes...and the rice. Let's be honest, with a thick, flavorful sauce like this, you can't not pair it with rice, or any grain for that matter. The sauce is something you can make and pair with other things: a variety of veggies, chickpeas, mushrooms, other fried things...it's pretty much a sauce / dip at this point, to be honest.

This recipe also reminded me of one thing I haven't had in years: sweet chili sauce. To be honest, I wasn't a fan of it when I was younger but I think now I'm more accepting of it. I'm not fully there yet but I think I appreciate it more now. I'm definitely open to cooking with it more (and with using it as a dip for fried wantons and stuff)! 

Enjoy!

Tofu in Sweet & Spicy Sauce

(Adapted from: PeasandCrayons.com)

Yield: 2

14oz firm tofu, cubed

1 tablespoon cornstarch

oil, for frying

Sauce:

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tablespoons hot sauce of choice (add more if needed)

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Tofu:

1. Press tofu to remove excess liquid then cut into cubes.

2. Evenly coat tofu cubes in cornstarch, tap off excess, then fry until golden brown. Set aside.

Sauce:

1. Add all ingredients except sesame seeds in a pan. Start with 1 tablespoon of hot sauce first then add more later on if needed. Bring to a boil.

2. Mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water and pour into sauce. Stir and let sauce thicken.

3. Pour sauce on top of fried tofu cubes and garnish with sesame seeds.