This Kung Pao Tofu is adapted from Ham El-Waylly’s recipe at the New York Times. It’s full of flavour and spice! Kung Pao is a Chinese dish traditionally made with chicken. Here, tofu replaces the meat.
If you like strong flavours, this is your dish! If not, remember you can always reduce the ginger, chilli and sichuan pepper or leave them out!
The preparation of the tofu gives it a crunchy exterior and chewy interior.
If you are cooking for 4, double the ingredents.
Kung Pao Tofu
Ingredients
1/2 block fava bean tofu, about 200 grams (see post dated 11 January 2026) or firm tofu, pressed
2 tbs No soy sauce (or soy sauce/Redboat fish sauce)
1 tbs raw honey or coconut sugar
1 tbs homemade hoisin sauce (see post dated 13 February 2022)
2 tbs fresh lemon/lime juice
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp white pepper corns, ground in mort and pestle or spice grinder
2 cloves garlic, peeled and pounded in to a paste
1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and pounded in to a paste
2 tbs +1 tsp tapioca starch
1/2 red pepper, stem and seeds removed and chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp sichuan pepper, crushed in mort and pestle
2 chilli de arbol, crushed
1 tbs activated cashews (per serving)
2 tbs cilantro, washed, spun, dried and finely chopped (per serving)
cooked brown rice
Method
Wash and strain your brown rice. Let it sit in the strainer for 15 minutes (in summer) or 30 minutes (in winter). Cook in an instant pot or a pan on the stove.
Prepare the vegetables. Peel and slice the garlic and ginger. Peel and slice the onion. Chop the red pepper and finely dice the celery.
Place the garlic and ginger in a mort and pestle. Pound until you have a paste. In a bowl, mix the No soy sauce, honey (or coconut sugar), hoisin sauce, lemon (or lime) juice, sesame oil, crushed white pepper, garlic + ginger paste, 1 tsp tapioca starch and 2 tbs of filtered water. Set aside.
Cut the firm tofu in to cubes and place in a bowl. Add several pinches of salt. Mix together 2 tbs of tapioca flour, 1/2 tsp each of onion and garlic powders and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle flour mixture over tofu cubes and gently mix until the tofu is throughly coated. Arrange in an air fryer pan so that the tofu pieces are not touching. Preheat the air fryer to 200c and air fry for 10 minutes. Pound the Sichuan peppers and chile de arbol in a mort and pestle.
In a ceramic frying pan, sauté the onions on a low heat with a pinch of salt. Cover and let them cook for several minutes. Add the celery and red pepper and cook until the red pepper starts to soften. Add in the sichuan peppers and chilies. Cook for several minutes. Add in the air fryer tofu, sauce and cook until the sauce simmers and thickens.
Serve your Kung Pao tofu topped with cilantro and slightly crushed, activiated cashews alongside warm brown rice.