Crispy Tofu and Pak Choi Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 400 g firm tofu, pressed and cubed
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• 4 tbsp oil
• 4 pak choi, quartered lengthways
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 20 g ginger, julienned
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp sesame seeds

Method

1. Press the tofu

   Wrap the tofu in a clean cloth and weigh it down for twenty minutes. Wet tofu steams rather than crisps, and no amount of hot oil fixes it.

   20 min

2. Crisp it

   Toss the cubes in cornflour, then fry in hot oil, turning only once each side has set into a crust. Move it too early and the coating comes away.

   10 min

3. Aromatics

   Lift out the tofu. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan for a few seconds.

4. Wilt the greens

   Add the pak choi with a splash of water and cover for a minute so the stems soften while the leaves stay green.

   2 min

5. Sauce

   Stir together the soy, vinegar and maple syrup and pour in. Return the tofu and toss quickly to glaze rather than soak — the crust softens within a minute.

6. Serve

   Off the heat, add the sesame oil and seeds. Serve straight away over rice.