This is my go-to lunch when I’m at the studio on my own.
It’s a super quick meal consisting of crispy tofu bits and spicy garlic noodles.
I hope you enjoy it! Ben.
Why is my tofu not crispy?
- We use extra-firm tofu, which has a lot less moisture compared to regular firm tofu. As a result it doesn’t require pressing and takes less than 10 minutes to get crispy on the pan. However, if your firm tofu is on the softer side, then it will require pressing first to remove as much moisture as possible before frying – at which point it might require longer in the pan before it’s crispy.
Notes:
- I developed this recipe to serve 1 person because it’s something I regularly cook for lunch when I’m at the studio by myself. But the recipe scales up well and you can simply multiply the amounts if you’re cooking for more people.
- A combination of light and dark soy sauce creates the perfect balance of savoury and salty flavours. But if you can’t find light or dark, you can simply use regular soy sauce (which is usually light).
- On a scale of 1-5, we’d say this has a ‘spicy’ level of 4. If you’re not a huge fan of spicy food, simply reduce the amount of chilli oil.
- Tip: after you measure the correct amount of tofu, store the leftover tofu in water in an air-tight container. The tofu will keep well for a few days and you can replace the water every 3-4 days if you want to keep it for 2 weeks.
- We use ready-to-cook udon noodles which are sold in a vacuum pack. But you can use other noodles, such as ramen or regular wheat noodles.
15 Minute Chilli Tofu Noodles
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 120 g extra-firm tofu
- 1 tsp cornflour
- vegetable oil
- 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice
- 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
For the noodles:
- 2 spring onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, peeled + finely chopped
- 1 tsp chilli oil, plus extra for topping
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
- 200 g ready-to-cook udon noodles, see notes
Method
- Use your hands to crumble the tofu in a bowl until it reaches a mince-like consistency, then stir in the cornflour.
- Add a small drizzle of oil to a non-stick wok or frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook for 7-10 minutes or until golden and crispy, stirring occasionally to break up any clumps of tofu.
- Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the 5 spice, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for the noodles, add most of the spring onion (save some for topping), garlic, chilli oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, maple syrup and rice vinegar to a mixing bowl.
- Cook the noodles in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, stirring gently to separate them. Then drain the noodles and stir them into the sauce.
- Add the noodles to a serving bowl and top with the crispy tofu and remaining spring onion. We also love to drizzle extra chilli oil over the top, but this is optional! Enjoy!
2 Comments
I love chilli tofu noodles. . Roughly how many calories per 1 serving please?
Roughly 550 calories per serving 🙂