Black Pepper Tofu

🥘 Ingredients

• vegetable oil
• firm tofu 1 ¾ lb
• cornstarch
• butter 11 tbsp
• shallots 12
• fresh red chiles 8
• garlic 12 cloves
• fresh ginger 3 tbsp
• sweet soy sauce 3 tbsp
• light soy sauce 3 tbsp
• dark soy sauce 4 tsp
• black peppercorns 5 tbsp
• sugar 2 tbsp
• green onions 16

1. 1

   Start with the tofu. Pour enough vegetable oil into a large frying pan or wok to come 1/4 inch up the sides and heat. Cut the firm tofu into large cubes, about 1 x 1 inch. Toss them in some cornstarch and shake off the excess, then add to the hot oil. (You'll need to fry the tofu pieces in a few batches so they don't stew in the pan.) Fry, turning them around as you go, until they are golden all over and have a thin crust. As they are cooked, transfer them onto paper towels.
2. 2

   Remove the oil and any sediment from the pan, then put the butter inside and melt it. Add the shallots , fresh red chiles , garlic and fresh ginger . Sauté on low to medium heat for 15 minutes , stirring occasionally, until the ingredients have turned shiny and are totally soft. Next, add the sweet soy sauce , light soy sauce and dark soy sauce and stir, then add the black peppercorns and sugar .
3. 3

   Add the tofu to warm it up in the sauce for about a minute. Finally, stir in the green onions . Serve hot, with steamed rice.