Indo-Chinese Garlic Pepper Chicken
Super garlicky Indo-Chinese garlic pepper chicken has deep flavors from black pepper, green chili, and ginger with chunks of garlic in the sauce! It’s a 1-pan dinner that you can make using your protein of choice. For this vegan version, we are using tofu.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Tofu
- 14 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu pressed for at least 15 minutes, then torn into ¾” bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or use tamari for gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons white rice flour
- 2 teaspoon oil
For the Sauce
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- ½ green chili, such as Serrano or Indian finely chopped or minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion white parts only, reserve the green parts for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce Use tamari for gluten-free, or a mix of soy sauce and dark soy sauce for more flavor.
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or any Asian red chili sauce
- ½ teaspoon vinegar ,white or rice vinegar
- ¾ cup water divided
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
Make the tofu chicken.
- Press the tofu for 15 minutes (see notes on how to press) if you haven't already, then tear it into organic shapes. Add the tofu to a bowl, then add the soy sauce and toss well. In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, black pepper, cornstarch, and rice flour. Sprinkle the mixture all over the tofu, then toss for a few seconds to coat evenly.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add two teaspoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the coated tofu. Do not add any extra flour from the bowl, just the tofu. Spread it out evenly in one layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the tofu and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Continue flipping until all sides of the tofu are golden and crisp, a total of 7 to 8 minutes.
Make the sauce.
- Remove the tofu from the skillet, add another 2 teaspoons of oil, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add in the chopped garlic, ginger, and green chili, and mix well. If the pan is too hot, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly, then continue cooking over medium-low heat so the garlic doesn’t brown or burn. Cook until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Mix in in the green onion whites, onion, green bell pepper, black pepper, and salt. Increase the heat to medium and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add in the ketchup, soy sauce, sambal oelek, vinegar, and ¼ cup of the water. Mix well, and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the remaining ½ cup water, then add it to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more pepper or heat if you like. You can also add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavors, if you like.
- Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat. Add in the crisp tofu, and toss well. Garnish with reserved green onion tops, and serve.
Video
Notes
Serving Suggestions: Serve Indo-Chinese garlic pepper tofu over rice or quinoa, as a starter, in lettuce wraps, or stuffed into pita bread. For a thicker sauce, use 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken it up more before adding the tofu. This will make it more like a starter with a thicker sauce. For extra protein, serve with quinoa or blanched broccoli and garnish with sesame seeds or hemp seeds.
Allergy Information: This recipe is naturally nut-free. To make it soy-free, use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and replace the tofu with chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, seitan, or beans. For gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
To bake the Tofu: Substitute the rice flour with cornstarch. Thank you. Toss the Tofu with the dry ingredients, drizzle two teaspoons of oil. put the tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or longer until crisp.
How to press the Tofu: Press the tofu using a tofu press. Alternatively, use a kitchen towel: place the tofu in the kitchen towel and wrap it, or wrap the tofu in the kitchen towel then place a heavy pan on top. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Unwrap and use.
Nutrition
Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 625mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 2mg