Chengdu Tofu

Ingredients

800g tofu (original recipe uses chicken so you can substitute back if you like)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp chinese cooking wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup (60ml) peanut oil
300g spinach, trimmed, chopped coarsely (I used a mix of spinach and silverbeat)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
4 green onions, sliced thinly
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp white sugar
2 tbsp sambal oelek (fresh chili)
1 tsp sichuan peppercorns, crushed (any peppercorns will do)

Combine tofu, half the soy sauce, half of the wine and half of the sesame oil in a large bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for 20 mins

Heat 1 tbsp of peanut oil in wok
Stir-fry spinach until just wilted
Remove from wok
Cover to keep warm

Heat half of the remaining peanut oil in wok
Stir-fry tofu mixture, until browned
Heat the remaining peanut oil in wok
Stir-fry garlic, ginger and onion until onion just softens

Return tofu and remaining sauce, wine and sesame oil to wok with vinegar, sugar, and sambal
Stir-fry tofu until cooked
Serve spinach topped with chicken and sprinkle with pepper



From The Complete Book of Modern Asian