While there is a documented history of Jews eating Chinese takeout on Christmas, my family extended their love of lo mein and fried rice into a year-round ritual. My use of the word “ritual” may seem silly here, but for many years on most Friday nights I remember us picking up Chinese takeout (so much so that the owner of the restaurant would recognize my dad’s voice on the phone and know his usual order for our family). Someone was always ordering General Tso’s chicken, a Chinese takeout classic. I got a craving for this sweet and spicy sauce and pulled together this recipe using my crispy tofu recipe!
One thing I love about this recipe is that the tofu is baked instead of fried so it is a bit less oily, but still super crispy! Alternatively, you could use this sauce with tempeh or on another alternative meat product like chik’n tenders/nuggets. Once you have your tofu prepared, the sauce itself takes only 5-7 minutes to make. You can also change the amount of crushed red pepper flakes you use to make the sauce more or less spicy.
I ate my General Tso’s Tofu with rice, but you could also serve it with mixed vegetables like broccoli and carrots or even noodles. Lastly, top your meal with a few extra red pepper flakes, fresh or dried chives/green onions, and sesame seeds!
I would love the hear how this recipe turned out for you (or see how it turned out if you take pictures!). Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!
General Tso's Tofu
Equipment
- whisk
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or sub liquid coconut aminos if gluten-free
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- sesame seeds and chives/green onions to top your dish
- 1 serving crispy tofu
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients with a whisk.
- In a small pan, heat the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and vegetable broth over medium heat until it begins to bubble.
- Once the mixture is bubbling, quickly add the brown sugar and whisk frequently until the crystals are completely dissolved.
- Add the dry ingredient mixture you created earlier and whisk continuously until well combined. At this point, the sauce should be getting thicker.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and let it sit for 3-4 minutes, during which time it will continue to thicken. Once it has gotten to your desired consistency, pour it over the crispy tofu and coat the tofu with it.
- Top your crispy tofu with sesame seeds and chives/green onions and serve!
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