Air fryer salt and pepper tofu

Name: Air fryer salt and pepper tofu
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: Chinese recipes
Ingredients: 3 tsp fine salt; 1 tsp garlic powder; 280g firm tofu, cut into 3cm cubes; 1 tsp ground white pepper; ¼ tsp sichuan peppercorns, crushed to a powder; 1½ tbsp cornflour; 1 tbsp sunflower oil or vegetable oil; 3 spring onions, finely sliced; 1 small red chilli, finely sliced; 1 small green chilli, finely sliced

Portion size: Serves 2
Prep time 10 min, plus at least 1 hour brining. Cook time 15 min
Difficulty: easy

Dairy-free

Gluten-free

Vegan

Emily Gussin

Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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A mixture of white pepper and sichuan pepper with red and green chillies gives salt and pepper tofu its special punchy taste. Cooking it in an air fryer gives a crisp coating without the need for lots of oil.

Pumpkin with creamy beans and crispy chickpeas is another plant-based air fryer winner.

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Ingredients

3 tsp fine salt
1 tsp garlic powder
280g firm tofu, cut into 3cm cubes
1 tsp ground white pepper
¼ tsp sichuan peppercorns, crushed to a powder
1½ tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp sunflower oil or vegetable oil
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 small red chilli, finely sliced
1 small green chilli, finely sliced

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Method

Stir 2 tsp of the salt and ½ tsp of the garlic powder into 400ml warm water in a bowl. Add the tofu cubes and leave to soak for at least 1 hour but up to 24 hours. Drain, pat dry, then leave to air dry for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together the remaining 1 tsp salt, the white pepper, sichuan pepper and remaining ½ tsp garlic powder, then set aside. Transfer half this seasoning blend to a large bowl and stir in the cornflour. Toss the tofu with the seasoned cornflour until evenly coated, then toss with the oil.
Heat the air fryer to 200°C and line the basket with baking paper. Arrange the tofu on the paper in a single layer with some space between each piece. Cook for 12-15 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and crisp all over.
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Season the tofu with the rest of the seasoning blend, stirring to coat, then sprinkle with the spring onions and chillies. Cook for 2 minutes more, then serve as part of a spread of other Chinese dishes.