Thai Crispy Tofu with Tamarind Glaze 🌶️🍛

Description

Crispy tofu tossed in a glossy tamarind glaze is a vibrant Thai plant based dish that balances sweet, sour, and savory flavors. Golden fried tofu cubes absorb the rich sauce while remaining crisp on the outside and tender inside. 🌿
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Hook ✨
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Crispy tofu and bold tamarind glaze create a fast Thai dish that delivers deep flavor without meat. 🍲

Ingredients

• Tofu
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• 🧊 450 g firm tofu, cubed (16 oz)
• 🌾 40 g cornstarch (3 tbsp / 1.4 oz)
• 🫒 500 ml vegetable oil for frying (2 cups / 17 fl oz)
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• Sauce
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• 🥣 30 ml tamarind paste (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🍬 25 g palm sugar (2 tbsp / 0.9 oz)
• 🥢 20 ml soy sauce (1½ tbsp / 0.7 fl oz)
• 🧄 10 g garlic, minced (3 cloves / 0.35 oz)
• 🌶️ 6 g red chili, finely sliced (1 chili / 0.2 oz)
• 💧 60 ml water (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
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• Garnish
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• 🧅 40 g scallions, sliced (⅓ cup / 1.4 oz)
• 🥜 30 g roasted peanuts, crushed (¼ cup / 1 oz)
• 🌿 10 g cilantro leaves (2 tbsp / 0.35 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Prepare the tofu
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3. Pat tofu dry and cut into even cubes so they fry evenly. 🧊
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5. 2️⃣ Coat the tofu
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7. Toss tofu cubes with cornstarch until lightly coated on all sides. 🌾
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9. 3️⃣ Heat the oil
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11. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to about 175°C (347°F). 🔥
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13. 4️⃣ Fry the tofu
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15. Fry tofu cubes for about 5–6 min until golden and crispy. 🍳
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17. 5️⃣ Drain the tofu
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19. Transfer fried tofu to paper towels to remove excess oil. 🧻
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21. 6️⃣ Make the sauce
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23. In a pan combine tamarind paste, palm sugar, soy sauce, garlic, chili, and water and simmer until slightly thickened. 🍲
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25. 7️⃣ Toss the tofu
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27. Add crispy tofu to the sauce and gently toss until evenly glazed. 🍛
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29. 8️⃣ Finish and serve
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31. Top with scallions, peanuts, and cilantro before serving hot. 🍽️

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 12 min
🛋 Rest: 3 min
⏰ Total: 30 min

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