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Kung Pao Tofu

This version of Kung Pao is a hot and spicy stir fry mixture featuring a home made Plum Sauce glaze. This dish is usually combined with a bed of rice.

The dish features a heat sensation that is provided by dried hot Chilies which are cooked in oil at the beginning of the stir fry. You will need to experiment with the type and quantity to find the amount of Chile flavor that you enjoy.

You may substitute The Panko Fired Tofu with sautéd Tofu or seared strips of Seitan to make the process simpler.

Ingredients:

Panko Fired Tofu ingredients:

1 pound extra firm Tofu cut into 3/4" x 3/4" cubes
1 to 2 cups of Panko Bread crumbs
1 cup of plain yogurt
1/4 cup milk
A suitable quantity of Peanut Oil for frying Tofu

Vegetable ingredients:

1 Red Bell Pepper chopped into bite size pieces
1 Yellow Bell Pepper chopped into bite size pieces
1 Anaheim Pepper chopped into bite size pieces
3 medium size julienned Carrots

freshly ground Chinese Five Spice:

1/2 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
1/2 cluster of Star Anise
1/4 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
3 Cloves

Aromatic starter Ingredients:

Enough Peanut Oil to cover the bottom of the stir fry pan
4 cloves of chopped, not minced, Garlic
Several small dried hot Chili Peppers chopped into 1/4" segments. You will need to choose the type and quantity to match your enthusiasm for hot spicy food. Start with a conservative amount until you get a sense of what works.
3 teaspoons freshly ground Chinese Five Spice
3 Tablespoons of raw Sesame Seeds
1 cup of shelled Peanuts (choose raw or roasted to suit your preferred flavor)
1 bunch of Green Onions chopped

Plum Sauce Ingredients:

30 dried prunes (use a good quality product for best flavor)
1 Tablespoon of Salt
1/2 cup of Sugar
3/4 cup of water
1 Tablespoon of Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Seasame Seed Oil (preferably light rather than toasted)
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
1-1/2 Tablespoons of Ginger Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of freshly ground Black Pepper

Preparation:

Prepare all the ingredients and place them at the ready. Once the stir fry gets started you the process occurs rapidly. You will want to work quickly to sear the flavor while retaining the crisp texture of the fresh produce.

Mix the sauce ingredients in a small food processor and set aside.

Place some of the Yogurt in a small mixing bowl. Use some of the Milk to thin the yogurt. It is helpful to ration the Yogurt and Milk, so each cube of Tofu is coated more consistently, by reserving some Yogurt and Milk to refresh the supply as you proceed. Add some of the cubes of Tofu to the Yogurt mixture. Stir the mixture to completely coat the Tofu with a creamy covering.

Place some of the Panko Breadcrumbs in a pie pan or shallow bowl. It is helpful to ration the Breadcrumbs, so each cube of Tofu is coated more consistently, by reserving some of the breadcrumbs to refresh the supply as you proceed. Transfer the coated Tofu to the pan of breadcrumbs and stir the mixture to completely coat the tofu with the breadcrumbs.

Deep fry the cubes of Tofu in hot oil. When they are brown and crisp, strain them out of the fry pan and place them on paper towels to draw off excess oil.

Repeat the process until all the Tofu is cooked. Refresh the Yogurt, Milk and Pank Breadcrumbs as necessary.

Heat the stir fry pan or wok to very high heat. Add a small amount of oil.

Add each Aromatic starter ingredients separately in the order in which they are listed. As each ingredient release its aroma, add the next while stirring to coat the new additions with the flavor of the oily mixture.

Add the Carrots to the stir fry and mix them in.

Add the chopped Peppers to the stir fry and mix them in.

Add the fried Tofu and mix it in.

As soon as everything seems hot pour the sauce into the pan and mix throughly.

Serve while steaming hot with your favorite rice.