Behold, your new favourite way to eat tofu. Wrapped in rice paper and deep-fried to get an incredibly crispy crust.
This method of wrapping tofu in rice paper is inspired by a YouTube video I watched a few weeks ago. They used chicken in the video, and the rice paper crust sounded so incredibly crispy! Thawed tofu is a great substitute for chicken, so I had to try it myself! Safe to say, I was not disappointed at all. In fact, this is my new favourite way to cook tofu.
When in contact with hot oil, the rice paper puffs up and gets really crispy. Honestly, it’s the crispiest tofu I’ve ever had – and I’ve deep fried tofu in a lot of ways. This method is also not as messy as the dredging method, and a lot faster.
Since rice paper is a Vietnamese thing, I decided to make a Vietnamese-inspired dip to go with the tofu. Fish sauce is really common in their cuisine, so I used vegetarian oyster sauce and other ingredients to recreate a similar flavour. The sweet, sour and savoury sauce is super appetizing!
Notes 🗒
- I kept the marinade very simple because the sauce is super tasty. Feel free to marinade the tofu with whatever spices you like.
- Soak the rice paper long enough so that it’s malleable, but not too long otherwise it will fold over and stick to itself.
- Try to keep the wrapped tofu dry, because the excess water will splatter when you fry it in oil.
My parents and I went crazy over this recipe, it’s a family favourite!
Here are more tofu recipes that won’t disappoint:
- Spicy Eggplant w/ Minced Tofu
- Tauhu Sumbat (Malaysian Stuffed Tofu w/ Peanut Sambal)
- Fried Tofu w/ Sweet Chili Peanut Sauce
- Vegan Kung Pao Tofu
- Spicy Vegan Tofu Curry
If you made this recipe, do leave a comment and rating below because I love hearing your feedback. Make sure to tag me on Instagram @eatwkriss so that I can see your recreations!
Crispy Rice Paper Tofu
Ingredients
- 200 g firm tofu frozen and thawed
- ¼ tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
- rice paper
Vietnamese-inspired sauce
- 1½ tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Thai red chili thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp cilantro thinly sliced
Instructions
- Tear tofu into bite-sized chunks. Gently rub in salt and black pepper, then set aside.
Make sauce
- In a small pan, combine all the sauces, sugar and water. Bring to a simmer, reducing it to a thick sauce. Stir in the red chili and cook for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and set aside. Once cooled, stir in the cilantro.
Wrapping and frying tofu
- Prepare a clean working surface (I used a cutting board) and a bowl of water.
- Cut the rice paper into half, and soak in water for 5 seconds. Place a chunk of tofu in the center, and wrap it tightly. Repeat with the rest of the tofu.
- Prepare a large pot/pan with at least 1-inch of cooking oil. If bubbles appear when you insert a chopstick into the oil, it's ready to use.
- Fry the wrapped tofu for 2-3 minutes. The rice paper won't turn brown, but it will puff up and get crispy. Do not overcrowd the pot, as the tofu pieces tend to stick together.
- Place on a wire rack to cool slightly, before serving with the sauce.
Notes
- I kept the marinade very simple because the sauce is super tasty. If you’re not making the sauce, feel free to marinade the tofu with whatever spices you like.
- Soak the rice paper long enough so that it’s malleable, but not too long otherwise it will fold over and stick to itself.
- Try to keep the wrapped tofu dry, because the excess water will splatter when you fry it in oil.
How long need to freeze or frozen the firm tofu ? TIA
Hi Fiona, I usually freeze the tofu overnight!
Did this now and it is da bomb 💣! My mom liked it too. ❤️ Thanks, Kristin.
you’re most welcome! im happy both of you enjoyed it 🙂