Crispy Rice Paper Tofu
Behold, your new favourite way to eat tofu. Wrapped in rice paper and deep-fried to get an incredibly crispy crust.
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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!