General Tso's Tofu

🥘 Ingredients

• black pepper
  1 unit
• broccoli
  1 unit
• brown sugar
  1 unit
• chili flakes
  1 unit
• cooking oil
  1 unit
• cornstarch
  1 unit
• garlic
  1 unit
• ginger
  1 unit
• jasmine rice
  1 unit
• rice wine vinegar
  1 unit
• salt
  1 unit
• sesame oil
  1 unit
• sesame seeds
  1 unit
• soy sauce
  1 unit
• sugar
  1 unit
• sweet soy glaze
  1 unit
• tempura batter mix
  1 unit
• tofu
  1 unit

🍳 Cookware

• medium bowl
• small pot
• large microwave-safe bowl
• medium pot
• large bowl
• large, dry pan
• large, preferably nonstick, pan
• slotted spoon

1. 

   1

   Wash and dry all produce. Cut broccoli florets into bite-size pieces if necessary. Dice ¾ of the tofu into ½-inch pieces and save the rest for another use. Pat tofu dry with paper towels and season with salt and black pepper . Peel and mince ginger and garlic .

   broccoli: 1 unit, tofu: 1 unit, salt: 1 unit, black pepper: 1 unit, ginger: 1 unit, garlic: 1 unit
2. 

   2

   In a medium bowl , whisk together brown sugar , soy sauce , sweet soy glaze , cornstarch , half the rice wine vinegar , ½ cup water, and sugar until combined. Set aside.

   brown sugar: 1 unit, soy sauce: 1 unit, sweet soy glaze: 1 unit, cornstarch: 1 unit, rice wine vinegar: 1 unit, sugar: 1 unit
3. 

   3

   In a small pot , combine jasmine rice , ¾ cup water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender ⏱️ 15 minutes . Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

   jasmine rice: 1 unit
4. 

   4

   While rice cooks, place broccoli in a large microwave-safe bowl along with a splash of water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in wrap. Microwave until tender ⏱️ 1 minutes . Drain any excess water. Season with salt and pepper. If you do not have a microwave, steam broccoli in a medium pot with a splash of water until tender ⏱️ 3 minutes .
5. 

   5

   In a second large bowl , whisk together tempura batter mix , 1⁄3 cup cold water, and salt until smooth. If mixture is too thick, add more water 1 TBSP at a time until it reaches a thick pancake-batter-like consistency.

   tempura batter mix: 1 unit
6. 

   6

   Add tofu to bowl with tempura batter and stir until evenly coated. Transfer to fridge and let sit for at least ⏱️ 5 minutes .
7. 7

   Heat a large, dry pan over medium-high heat. Add half the sesame oil , ginger, and garlic. Cook until fragrant ⏱️ 30 seconds . Add sauce and cook until slightly thickened ⏱️ 3 minutes . Remove from heat.

   sesame oil: 1 unit
8. 8

   Heat a 1⁄3-inch layer of cooking oil in a second large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot enough that a drop of batter sizzles when added, add coated tofu to pan in a single layer. Work in batches if necessary and watch carefully to avoid burning. Cook undisturbed until golden brown and crispy on one side ⏱️ 4 minutes . Add more cooking oil between batches if needed.

   cooking oil: 1 unit
9. 9

   Turn tofu and cook until golden brown and crispy on all sides ⏱️ 2 minutes . Using a slotted spoon , carefully transfer tofu to a paper-towel-lined plate. Turn off heat.
10. 10

    Add fried tofu and broccoli to pan with sauce. Return pan to medium heat. Cook, stirring, until glazed ⏱️ 1 minutes . If sauce seems too thick, stir in a splash of water.
11. 11

    Fluff rice with a fork and divide between bowls. Top with tofu and broccoli. Drizzle with any remaining sauce from pan. Garnish with sesame seeds and chili flakes to taste and serve.

    sesame seeds: 1 unit, chili flakes: 1 unit