In this Chili Tofu recipe, crispy tofu and chillies are tossed in a garlic chilli sauce. The recipe is a plant-based twist to my Indo-chinese chilli paneer recipe.
Chili tofu is everything you’d want from a dish – hot, sweet, sticky and crunchy all rolled into one! It is vegan, gluten-free and flavourful.
To make it, coat pressed tofu and pan fry it until it is super crispy and toss that with ginger, garlic, peppers and chillies. For the spicy sauce, I like to use a mix of soy sauce and chilli sauce.
Serve chilli tofu with sticky rice or chili oil noodles or enjoy it as it is topped with plenty of spring onions.
Arrange an Indo-Chinese buffet with vegetable spring rolls, vegetable manchurian, vegetarian chow mein and schezwan baby potatoes .
Chili Tofu Ingredients
Tofu – you need extra firm tofu for this recipe. Drain the tofu and use a tofu press or a heavy weight object with paper towels.
Chillies – use chillies of your choice and adjust the amount according to your liking. I like to cook with the green chillies and garnish with finely sliced red chillies.
Green capsicum – bell peppers add bulk and crunch.
Garlic and ginger – crush the garlic and ginger to add bright flavours.
Spring onions – aka green onions, use both the green and white part.
Soy sauce – use light or dark. Alternatively, use coconut aminos or tamari to make it gluten-free.
Chilli sauce – sweet chili sauce or a spicy chilli sauce both work depending on your taste.
Corn starch – the cornstarch helps to make the tofu super crispy. Alternatively use tapioca starch.
Sesame oil – sesame oil has a nutty flavour that is so good with soy sauce however you can use unflavoured oil also.
Salt and black pepper
Storage
Store leftover tofu chili in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. The tofu may loose some of the crispiness as you reheat it. Reheat it in the microwave or stovetop.
I do not recommend freezing as the texture of the tofu and vegetables will change.
Other tofu recipes
Tofu Manchurian
Tofu Mango Coconut Curry
Fajitas with Tofu
Tofu Bhurji
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Chili Tofu
Ingredients
- 800 gram firm tofu 2 blocks
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 capsicum chopped
- 3 chillies sliced, red and green
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce light or dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon chilli sauce
- 3 spring onion finely sliced
- 3 tablespoon sesame oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain the tofu thoroughly then cut into cubes.
- Coat with cornstarch and mix well.
- Add half of the oil to a large skillet and pan fry the tofu until crunchy on all sides and golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and add the remaining oil.
- Add the minced ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute.
- Tip in the capsicum and green chillies and cook for a further minute on medium-high heat.
- Pour in the soy sauce and chilli sauce, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Toss in the crispy tofu and stir fry for a further 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish with spring onions and optionally extra chopped chillies.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Chili Tofu
Ingredients
- 800 gram firm tofu 2 blocks
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 capsicum chopped
- 3 chillies sliced, red and green
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce light or dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon chilli sauce
- 3 spring onion finely sliced
- 3 tablespoon sesame oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain the tofu thoroughly then cut into cubes.
- Coat with cornstarch and mix well.
- Add half of the oil to a large skillet and pan fry the tofu until crunchy on all sides and golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and add the remaining oil.
- Add the minced ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute.
- Tip in the capsicum and green chillies and cook for a further minute on medium-high heat.
- Pour in the soy sauce and chilli sauce, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Toss in the crispy tofu and stir fry for a further 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish with spring onions and optionally extra chopped chillies.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
This delicious nutty Pistachio Halwa is made with semolina, milk, sugar and crushed pistachios. It is an easy to make Indian dessert, perfect for a quick treat or as a delightful Diwali or Eid mithai.
I love semolina halwa, known as Sooji no Siro in Gujarati households. It is so comforting yet light. This Pistachio Halwa is basically the same recipe but with the addition of vibrant pistachio nuts.
Pistachio nuts add a sweet, nutty and slightly woody taste to recipes and are common in Indian cuisine. They go wonderfully with chocolate, especially in this Chocolate Pistachio Barfi .
For a similar treat, try this Turkish Semolina Halva (Irmik Helvasi) made with butter and pine nuts.
Ingredients and notes
- Semolina – you need the coarse variety suji/sooji for this recipe.
- Pistachio nuts – use whole or chopped pistachios. Do not use salted pistachios but plain roasted is okay to use.
- Cardamom powder – always added to Indian desserts, cardamom powder adds flavour.
- Ghee – I use my homemade desi ghee but you can use a flavourless oil such as sunflower oil
- Milk – for best results use whole milk, aka full fat milk but you can absolutely make it using skimmed milk too. You will be adding ghee anyway which adds fat.
- Sugar – white granulated sugar is best.
Storage
Store leftover pistachio halwa in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
I recommend serving immediately for the best texture. You can reheat halwa if you wish or serve at room temperature.
To reheat, warm in the microwave or in a pan with a splash of milk to loosen it.
Halwa can also be frozen for 1 month in a freezer safe container. Defrost in the microwave or at room temperature.
Other Indian Dessert Recipes
19 Best Barfi Peda Recipes
Mohanthal
Instant Kalakand (2 ingredients)
Pista Halwa
Ingredients
- ½ cup pistachio nuts ground
- 1 cup semolina
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup ghee
- 3 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
- Lightly roast the pistachio (if using raw) and grind coarsely in a spice grinder.
- Heat the milk in a heavy bottomed pan and set aside.
- In a heavy bottom kadai, heat the ghee and add the semolina. Roast on a low heat until you notice a roasting aroma. You need to continuously stir to prevent burning as this can make the halwa taste bitter. This step can take up to 10 minutes. The semolina should only turn golden, not brown in colour.
- Now add the milk and mix well, then tip in the sugar and pistachios and allow the mixture to cook.
- As it starts to thicken and become 1 mass, take off the heat.
- Spread the mixture evenly in a greased tray and allow it to cool slightly. You can then cut into diamond or squares. Optionally, serve loose halwa whilst warm in a bowl.
- You can sprinkle over more pistachio slivers.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Note – This recipe was first published in June 2010. This post has since been updated with helpful content and new images. The recipe remains the same.
