Welcome to Chef Shiuly Recipes, a culinary and travel blog dedicated to exploring the world’s most exciting flavors and destinations—one journey at a time.

Need Help

kung pao tofu recipe

  1. Home
  2. Recipes
Air Fryer

Kung Pao Tofu Recipe

Kung Pao Tofu is the vegan version of the hugely popular kung pao chicken. It is spicy, sweet, savory and sour and is a really delicious main course that goes well with rice or noodles. Perfect weekend meal.

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz. tofu firm tofu or 450 gm
  • 1 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp. sesame oil if skillet frying or oil for brushing when air frying
  • 3 tbsp. dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp. hot sauce or sriracha sauce
  • 2 tsp. corn starch
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. sesame oil
  • 4 red chillies dry
  • 2 peppers green or red cut into slices or cubes
  • 1 onion quarter and separate petals
  • ¼ cup peanuts roasted and salted
  • 2 scallions chopped
  • 1 tsp. minced ginger
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic

Directions:

  1. For the tofu: Cut the tofu into squares. Press it well to remove all the moisture. Now toss it with 1 tbsp. of corn starch and coat well.
  2. Take 1 tbsp. of sesame oil in a cast iron skillet. Saute tofu till crispy and keep aside.
  3. Preheat Air fryer to 180 C or 360 F for 5 minutes. Lay out the tofu in one layer after spraying or brushing with some sesame oil. Air fry for about 8 minutes at 180 C or till crispy on both sides. Remove and keep aside.
  4. Mix together dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, hot sauce, brown sugar and rice vinegar along with cornstarch and form a slurry.
  5. In 1 tbsp. sesame oil saute together 4 dried red chillies along with minced ginger and garlic. Add cubed onions, scallions and peppers and saute for a minute more.
  6. Now add the Kung Pao sauce along with crispy tofu. Cook for a couple of minutes till the tofu is well coated and the sauce is thick. Garnish with peanuts, scallion greens and cilantro leaves. Your Kung Pao tofu is ready. Serve hot.

Related Recipes

Banana Bread

Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan

This chicken pasta combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a meal that’s garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it “Mom’s Skillet Pasta,” and she called it “Devon’s Favorite Pasta.” Either way, it’s a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It’s a simple dinner the whole family will love.

Read More
Chicken

Moroccan Chicken & Tomato Stew

This Moroccan chicken stew is inspired by a traditional tagine, a dish which takes its name from the pottery vessel it's made in (a skillet works here). Serve with a side of roasted vegetables and whole-wheat couscous, if desired.

Read More
×

Search Here