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close-up of chilli garlic tofu puff on the baking sheet
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5 from 2 votes

Chilli Garlic Tofu Puff Pastry

These Indian-inspired chilli tofu puff pastry parcels are the perfect fusion appetizer for a Diwali or Indian-themed party. Or really any other party, because they are just so delicious! You all will love these Indo-Chinese Chilli Garlic Tofu in crispy parcels! Options for gluten-free and Soyfree
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indian Fusion, Indo Chinese
Keyword: tofu puff pastry
Servings: 12
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the Tofu

  • 14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu pressed for at least 15 minutes and diced 1/2”-3/4” inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons white rice flour or omit
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or use paprika
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons oil

For the Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1" piece ginger peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 hot green chilli such as Serrano or Indian or use a mild chilli or use green bell pepper instead to reduce the heat, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or use tamari
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar or rice vinegar
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 3/4 cup water

For the Puff Pastry

  • 2 puff pastry sheets thawed for 15 minutes
  • 2 teaspoons non-dairy milk
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • green onion and/or vegan parmesan for garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the chilli garlic tofu.

  • Press and cube the tofu, if you haven't already. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, rice flour, Kashmiri chilli powder, and salt. Mix well, then sprinkle this all over the tofu in a bowl, then toss to coat.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu, and spread it out into a single layer. Let the tofu sit undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip it with a spatula, so that the other side can crisp, as well. Continue to cook the tofu until almost all edges are golden and crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Then, remove the tofu from the skillet for making the sauce(easier to cook the sauce this way) . Alternatively, move the tofu to the edges of the skillet and cook the sauce in the middle.

Make the sauce.

  • Reduce the heat to medium, and add the other teaspoon of oil to the middle of the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, and green chilli, and mix and cook for about half a minute. Then, mix in the black pepper, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, and add that in, as well. Bring to a boil, and cook for another minute or so to thicken the sauce, then gently fold in the crisped tofu. You don't want to toss the tofu too much, because the crisp coating might come off because of the hot sauce. Switch off the heat, and let the sauce cool and thicken over the tofu really well. (Put it in the fridge to cool faster )

Make the tofu puff pastry.

  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C). If you haven't thawed your puff pastry, remove the puff pastry from the freezer, and let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes. When it’s pliable, unfold the pastry, flour your work surface, and roll out the puff pastry by about 2”, which will help the puff pastry get more flaky and also crisp up really nicely. Slice each sheet into 6 pieces. Mix the maple syrup and non dairy milk in a bowl. Then brush the puff pastry with a mix of maple syrup and non-dairy milk on the edges, which will help the pastry get nicely golden.
  • Spoon some of the cooled chilli garlic tofu and some sauce, into the center of one of your puff pastry squares with some going off a little further on the diagonal, and then fold over two of the diagonal corners, so they meet in the center of the puff pastry. Press and seal the middle, then repeat for all of the squares. Transfer the puff pastries to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush again with the milk-maple syrup mixture.
  • Bake for 25 to 35 minutes. At the 25-minute mark, rotate the baking sheet, and also check if it is getting nicely golden, and continue to bake for 5 minutes or longer, until all of the puff pastries are golden and just a little browned on some edges. Remove from the oven, and let them sit for another few minutes. Garnish with the green onion and vegan parmesan, if you like, and serve immediately on a serving platter.

Video

Notes

**You can chop the ginger, garlic, and chilli with a knife or put them all together in a food processor and pulse until they are evenly chopped. Save time by doing this while the tofu cooks.
These are best when you can serve them within an hour of baking, so you want to bake them right before your party.
Make them ahead by making the chilli garlic tofu and storing that for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can also assemble the puff parcels and freeze them, unbaked, for up to 2 months in an airtight container. If you're baking from frozen, they will need an extra 4 to 5 minutes.
To make this gluten-free, use the gluten-free pie crust from my gluten-free Wellington.
This recipe naturally is nut-free.

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg