Crispy Salt, Szechuan & Pink Peppercorn Tofu

This delicious, crispy tofu dish is made with lip-tingling Szechuan pepper, with a zingy wasabi and ginger mayonnaise and quick pink pickled radishes on the side. It's full of bright, fascinating flavours, and you can prep everything in advance, leaving frying until you're ready to serve.

It's very simple to throw together, and makes a delightful light lunch or a great starter. I also love serving a pile of crispy tofu with little bowls of wasabi mayo to pass around at drinks parties.

If you want to make a heartier meal of it, add some fragrant rice or noodles.

SERVES:
4

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

For the tofu

280g extra-firm tofu

1 tsp pink peppercorns

¼ cup cornflour

½ tsp ground white pepper

1 tsp Szechuan pepper

2 tsp sea salt

3-4 tbsp light oil – I use ground nut

Sesame seeds

For the wasabi ginger mayo

½ cup of your favourite vegan mayo. I like Follow Your Heart Original Vegenaise

1-2 tbsp wasabi paste

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

Juice of 1 lime

For the pickled radish

½ cup radishes, sliced or quartered

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup caster sugar

1 tsp sea salt

For the side salad

Make a green salad of your choice. Alongside this recipe, I like to use a combination of mixed leaves, coriander, edamame beans, cucumber and avocado.

Instructions

Drain the tofu – I also like to give it a squeeze with some kitchen towel – then cut into 1-inch cubes and place in a large bowl.
Using a pestle and mortar, roughly grind up the peppercorns, and place them in a small bowl with the cornflour, white pepper, Szechuan pepper and sea salt.
Add the cornflour mix to the tofu, shake the bowl to coat all the pieces, and set aside.
Add the radishes to a small bowl with the vinegar, sugar and salt, stir until the sugar is dissolved, and set aside, giving them an occasional stir.
In another small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the wasabi and ginger mayonnaise. Add a pinch of sea salt, check your seasoning, and add extra wasabi, lime, ginger or salt to taste.
Prep your salad veggies of choice.
When you're ready to serve, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the tofu in batches, tossing and turning until it's crispy and lightly golden on all sides. Place on kitchen towel to drain, and repeat until all the tofu is cooked. You keep your first batches warm in the oven while you fry the rest, if you like.
Serve the tofu with your side salad, a good dollop of wasabi mayo, and a spoonful of quick pickled radish. Finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.