Hunan Tofu Vegetable Stir-fry

Inspired by the classic Hunan chicken, this vegan version taste as good as, if not even better! It has the perfect balance between sweet, savory, sour, and spicy and is incredibly flavorsome. The tofu is also pan-fried to perfection and has a crispy crust like the restaurant-made ones.

I especially love serving it with a side of freshly steamed rice, vegetable Chinese egg rolls, and some Chinese spinach soup.

💚Why you will love this recipe

• A meatless meal that even non-vegans will enjoy - Saucy, hearty, and jam packed with flavors, this Hunan tofu is a crowd-pleaser!
• A quick one pan meal - It makes the perfect low effort weekend dinner. Plus, only simple everyday ingredients are used in this dish.
• Highly customizable and versatile - You can adjust the heat and flavor of this Hunan stir-fry to your own liking. Most component of this dish, for instant the veggies and tofu, are also swappable too.
• Healthy and wholesome - This dish is packed with nutitious veggies and high protein tofu to keep you fuller for longer. It is also less greasy and fatty than takeout!

🧄What you will need

📃Ingredients notes and substitutions

• Tofu - Make sure to use extra-firm tofu that has been pressed and drained beforehand. Press tofu either by using a tofu press, or by stacking something heavy on top. If you are unsure on how to do so, I recommend checking out this blog post on how to press tofu.
• Wood ear fungus - An optional ingredient. They usually are sold in the dry form, but you can also use fresh ones if you can get them.
  • Dry wood ear can be found in most well-stocked groceries. You can also find them in Asian or Chinese markets. I usually get my wood ear online.
  • If using dry wood ear, you will need to rehydrate them first. To do so, simply soak them in hot water for 20 minutes. Remove the tough parts and slice them into smaller pieces.
• Oyster sauce - Use vegetarian ones to keep this dish vegan.
  • I am using Lee Kum Kee ones. Although it is labeled as '' stir-fry sauce'', it is essentially vegetarian oyster sauce, and contains mushroom extracts.
  • Feel free to substitute it with more soy sauce, but you might need less of it.
• Soy sauce - Can be substituted with tamari or shoyu. Use gluten-free ones, if needed.
• Sambal oelek - A ground chili paste, this is what gives heat to Hunan tofu.
• Coconut sugar - You can use any other granulated sugar like cane sugar or brown sugar in place.

🔪How to make

Here is a quick rundown of the steps involved in making this Hunan tofu vegetable stir-fry. As usual, the full detailed recipe and instructions will be in the recipe card below.

Start by cubing your tofu into bite-sized cubes, then coat them in corn starch and salt.

Heat a non-stick wok/large skillet. Pan-fry tofu for a few minutes on each side until most sides have developed a crispy crust. Set aside.

Add some more oil into the same wok, and fry garlic until fragrant. Add in red pepper and broccoli next—Cook for a few minutes, or until veggies have softened slightly.

Next, add in baby corn and wood ear fungus. Saute for another few minutes until veggies are cooked.

Lastly, toss in cooked tofu along with the stir-fry sauce. Once the sauce has thickened, you can remove it from heat. Serve your Hunan tofu with some rice.

✔Helpful tips

• Do not skip coating your tofu cubes in corn starch. This is what give tofu its crispy outer crust.
• Use a large enough wok or skillet to cook your Hunan tofu. This ensures that all ingredients are cooked properly, and also prevent them from leaping out of the pan while stirring.
• You can easily adjust the spice level by using more or less sambal oelek. This dish is moderately spicy, so feel free to half the amount of sambal to make it less spicy, or double the amount if you love heat!
• Leftovers can be refrigerated in a sealed container for 3-4 days. Reheat it on the stove, adding a splash of water if the mixture appears dry.

✨Variations

Veggies - You can use other kinds of vegetables in place of what this recipe calls for. Some veggies that work well in stir-fries include cauliflower floret, sliced mushroom, cabbage, and julienned carrot. You could even use frozen veggie mix.

Tofu - You can replace tofu with other plant proteins like tempeh, cubes of seitan, or vegan chicken slices.

Noodles - To make this Hunan tofu heartier, toss in some cooked Asian noodles like rice noodles, soba, or ramen. You might have to double the ingredients for the sauce.

Oil-free - Either pan-fry tofu in a good non-stick pan without oil, or you can bake them at 200C/400F for 20 minutes. Use ¼ cup of water or broth in place of oil to saute the aromatics and veggies.

🍚How to serve

• Toppings - Top your Hunan tofu stir-fry with some crushed peanuts, cashews, chopped green onion, or toasted sesame seeds. They give this dish some extra flavors and texture.
• Rice - As mentioned above, this dish is best paired with some cooked rice, be it white or brown. Cauliflower rice is another great option. Or, you could make some fried rice like Chinese fried rice or sambal fried rice.
• Noodles - Chinese noodle dishes like lo mein or chow mein goes really well with Hunan tofu too!
• Soups - You can serve some Asian soups on the side like this tofu vegetable soup, or napa cabbage soup.

❔Commonly asked questions

🍽More Asian tofu recipes

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