Fried tofu with Sichuan string beans

Dustin and I are Asian food fanatics. We could probably eat an Asian-inspired meal every day of the week! On Sunday night, we went to Rose Tea Cafe in Squirrel Hill on Sunday night for our Taiwanese fix of bubble tea, beef noodle soup, and salt and pepper flounder, but were still craving more Asian food after watching an episode of The Layover with Anthony Bourdain in Taipei. A brief scan of the fridge revealed that tofu was the only available protein for dinner, thus fried tofu with Sichuan string beans was made.

The tofu recipe we used comes from Food and Wine.

Fried tofu with Sichuan string beans

Ingredients:
Tofu:  
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 tablespoon  red pepper flakes  

1 large garlic clove, very finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
One 14-ounce container firm tofu
Vegetable oil, for frying (I used Sunflower)
1 scallion, thinly sliced 

String beans: 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

2 cups string beans

1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

3 dried red chili peppers, chopped

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 inch piece of ginger, minced

Steamed rice made with chicken broth, for serving

Tofu frying in sunflower oil

Directions for tofu:
1. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the sugar, red pepper, garlic, sesame oil, ginger and sesame seeds. 
2. Slice the tofu crosswise into 8 thin slabs. Dry the tofu with paper towels, pressing until no moisture remains.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil until shimmering. Add the tofu and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Spoon the sauce over the fried tofu and sprinkle with the scallion. Serve with steamed rice and string beans.

Directions for string beans:
1. Use a mortar and pestle to grind the peppercorns.
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a heated wok.
3. Fry the ginger and garlic until browned.
4. Add peppercorns,chili peppers, and mix until fragrant.
5.  Add in the vinegar, soy sauce, and string beans, and cook until the beans are tender.

The finished product

 Notes: This is a spicy dish. Eliminate the peppercorns and/or the chili peppers if you are not a fan of spicy food. Ensure you eliminate the water from the tofu, changing the paper towels as many times as needed.  Otherwise, the tofu won't get crispy.

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