General Tao Tofu

My tofu recipe marathon continues as I try to use up the extra tofu sitting in my fridge. The only question....... what to make in order to elevate our tasteless rubbery friend to new heights and knock your socks off? In fact, I literally did that to my poor husband who found the recipe a bit too spicy for his liking but still delicious. In the mood for something Asian flavoured, I decided to adapt Ricardo's (Food Network Canada celebrity chef) recipe for General Tao chicken wings for my purpose. It is a dish that I made in the past, using less than the recommended sambal oelek to accommodate more delicate palates.  What had sold me on his recipe was the fact that the chicken wings were baked and not fried. However in altering the main ingredient used, I decided to throw caution to the wind by frying the tofu in a cornstarch/flour mixture. In spite of my husband's complaints regarding the spiciness of the dish, I think the recipe turned out amazingly delicious with just the right amount of heat. Just ask my favourite neighbours who got a plate of the General Tao tofu.
Suggestions: The recipe serves four but can be reduced by using less tofu but using the same amount of sauce. This will give you a more generous coating for the tofu. 
Do reduce the amount of sambal oelek (chili sauce) to 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon for a less spicy dish.
To simplify the recipe I used my trusty Cuisinart to chop the garlic and ginger. I then added the remaining ingredients indicated to blend.

Tofu:
20 ounces firm tofu (2 blocks) chopped into 1 inch squares
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
grape seed oil or vegetable oil for frying

Method:
 Blend the cornstarch and flour in a bowl and dredge the tofu pieces in the mixture. Transfer to a plate
 In a bowl slightly beat 2 eggs. Dip the floured tofu pieces in the beaten eggs

Remove the tofu pieces from the egg mixture and dredge a second time in the cornstarch/ flour mixture

Heat the oil and fry the tofu pieces until golden

Transfer the cooked tofu onto paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Set aside while preparing the General Tao sauce

Sauce:
3 garlic gloves finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger finely chopped
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sambal oelek(Chinese chili sauce)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup sugar
1 thinly sliced green onion for garnish

In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons water, fresh ginger, garlic, sambal oelek and paprika. Set aside.

If using a processor drop in 3 garlic cloves and about 2" piece of fresh ginger and chop.  
Add the  cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons water, fresh ginger, garlic, sambal oelek and paprika and pulse to blend. Set aside.





In a large skillet bring 3 tablespoons of water and 1/2 cup of sugar to a boil. Do not stir while it is cooking.
Cook until the mixture turns golden

Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet 

Stir and simmer until a syrup consistency. If  the consistency is too thick add a little water(a tablespoon or two) to the sauce.

Toss in the tofu making sure that the pieces are covered with the sauce

Serve with basmati rice and garnish with sliced green onions.