Recipe: Sweet Thai Chili Dipping Sauce and Fried Tofu

It's no secret that I love to eat Thai food. Everything about it appeals to me: the vibrant colors, fresh ingredients, clean flavors, and (in particular) its penchant for spiciness. My favorite Thai restaurant in town serves a delicious appetizer of crispy fried tofu that I just love. Tonight, I attempted to recreate that recipe in my own kitchen. It was super easy, and just as delicious! I served it with a spicy chili dipping sauce... and I'll tell you how to make that, too!

(sorry about the bad lighting... my kitchen isn't the best in that regard)


Here's what you need:

FRIED TOFU

1 package of Firm or Extra Firm tofu (I used extra firm, but might try firm next time as the texture was a little firmer than the restaurant version)
1-3 tablespoons of cornstarch
2 cups cooking oil, approx. (I used Canola, but Peanut Oil would be a better choice and I would have used it if my grocery store wouldn't have been out!)
1 handful unsalted or raw peanuts and/or cashews, chopped. (Tip: If the nuts you are using are salted, wash them in water and dry off w/ a paper towel first. That will get rid of that overpowering salty taste).

SWEET THAI CHILI DIPPING SAUCE (it's money, baby... trust me.)

2-3 Red Thai chili peppers (You should be able to find dry chilis at any large-ish supermarket or Asian food store. If you can't find Thai peppers, red jalepeños will work).
2-3 Garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar (the original recipe calls for white vinegar, but I didn't have any. So I just used a mixture of red wine vinegar and rice wine vinegar and it worked out fine).
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons water

Okay, but how do I actually make this stuff?

1) Open your package of tofu, drain, and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Wrap in a paper towel and set aside.
2) Take out your blender. Put in all of the chili sauce ingredients except for the last two, and blend until the chili peppers and garlic are in small pieces.
3) Pour the mixture in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for about three minutes until the chili pieces and the garlic start to get a bit soft and less "raw" looking.
4) While you are simmering the sauce, heat your oil in a wok or large pan. You want the oil to be hot, but not crackling.
5) Add your chopped nuts and toast them, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn. Remove from the oil once they are toasted and set aside on a paper towel to drain.
6) While the nuts are toasting, mix together 1 tablespoon corn starch and 2 tablespoons water in a separate bowl. Add to the chili sauce mixture and whisk to combine, cooking for another minute or two before turning off the heat. You're now done with the dipping sauce for your fried tofu! Warning: your chili sauce will most likely be quite spicy at this point! If you don't like spicy food, I'd suggest using a milder pepper.
7) Now, you should have a wok full of flavorful hot oil and a block of drained tofu. Cut the tofu into fairly large, uniform chunks. I think my block made eight separate pieces.
8) Dredge your tofu pieces lightly in corn starch, making sure to dust off any excess. You want a very thin coating.
9) Add about four pieces of tofu to your wok at a time. Fry for approximately 1-2 minutes (depending on how hot your oil it) until lightly brown. Flip over and fry for about 30 seconds- 1 minute longer on the other side, until it too is lightly brown. With a slotted spoon or spatula, remove "done" pieces to drain on a paper towel.



And that's it! When all your pieces are done frying, you're ready to eat :) Serve with a little bowl of dipping sauce on the side. Enjoy.... I know that I did!

The chili sauce would also be delicious with chicken nuggets, fries, or even tossed with some rice noodles and veggies.