phuongle19
There was a local Chinese restaurant in Dallas that almost every Asian person frequented, especially for large gatherings like graduations and birthday parties. So you can imagine the sadness that spread throughout the community when it closed down after being a part of our lives for so many years.
One of the most popular dishes was Crispy Tofu and String Beans. The tofu was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and it was coated with a fragrant lemongrass sauce and tossed with string beans. Many many years ago when I tried to re-create this dish, I realized that in order to get the same texture for the green beans, I had to fry them! I will also include instructions for air-frying. It produces a similar dish with less oil!
I used soft tofu in the video, but it is more difficult to handle because of the high moisture content. Please feel free to use medium or firm.
For this recipe, I wanted to match the flavors while also keeping it as simple and inviting as possible! I want people to feel more comfortable cooking Asian food at home. If you are more experienced, feel free to add some oyster sauce and chicken bouillon powder for even more flavor.
**Please read ALL the info before frying!!
1️⃣ Use a tall stockpot and don’t fill more than 1/4 of the pot
2️⃣ Make sure everything is DRY before adding to oil. Water and oil will cause lots of splatter or worse
3️⃣ I like to wear glasses 🤓 to protect my eyes
4️⃣ Stand back after putting food in the pot
5️⃣ Do not use a pot with a long handle that can get caught in any clothing or be moved around while frying (I know, mama bear is coming out) but I want you to be safe ❤️
6️⃣ I highly recommend using a deep-fry/candy thermometer and testing the temp right before frying. The temp can change in a matter of seconds, so fry right when oil hits 350. I don’t go over medium heat.
7️⃣ Fry in small batches or temp will drop too low & tofu won’t be crispy!
Crispy Tofu + Green Beans
Description
Crispy tofu and green beans tossed in a lemongrass sauce. Need I say more? 🙂
Ingredients
Sauce
Instructions
- Prep ingredients and make sure everything is DRY! Do not add wet beans to oil!! Combine ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
- Fill 1/4 or less of the stockpot with oil.
- Turn on medium or medium-low heat until oil is 350. Temp changes drastically, so fry immediately. If it gets too hot, remove it from heat for a minute while you lower the stove temp.
- Blanch green beans in oil for 1 minute and remove to a paper towel-lined plate (or air-fry with a little bit of oil for 12 minutes at 390F)
- Dry each cube of tofu before coating in cornstarch. Let it rest & coat again for an extra crispy crust
- Put the coated tofu on a plate with parchment paper OR a plate covered in cornstarch so the tofu doesn’t stick and remove the coating
- Fry in small batches for 3 minutes, 5-6 at a time depending on the size of the pot (if the temp drops too much then tofu will be soggy!) (or air-fry for 20 minutes at 400F, shaking the basket halfway)
- Heat wok on med, add oil, lemongrass, and onions, cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir for a minute. Add tofu, green beans, and sauce. Give it a toss and serve with rice.
Notes
- **Please read ALL the info before frying!!
- 1️⃣ Use a tall stockpot and don’t fill more than 1/4 of the pot
- 2️⃣ Make sure everything is DRY before adding to oil. Water and oil will cause lots of splatter or worse
- 3️⃣ I like to wear glasses 🤓 to protect my eyes
- 4️⃣ Stand back after putting food in the pot
- 5️⃣ Do not use a pot with a long handle that can get caught in any clothing or be moved around while frying (I know, mama bear is coming out) but I want you to be safe ❤️
- 6️⃣ I highly recommend using a deep-fry/candy thermometer and testing the temp right before frying. The temp can change in a matter of seconds, so fry right when oil hits 350. I don’t go over medium heat.
- 7️⃣ Fry in small batches or temp will drop too low & tofu won’t be crispy!
