Bean curd is one of the most delicious, yet simple and convenient recipes that you can find in the market, but the shop-bought variant is really not all that tasty. You can make your own bean curd at home using just a few household ingredients or even using premade mixes. You can easily cook up your own bean curd recipe at home, cutting down on store-bought bean curd.
Bean Curd Szechuan Style is a Chinese dish often served with spicy soup. The dish is made up of raw shredded bean curd, bean sprouts, carrots, and onions. The dish has a lot of detail and complexity to the ingredients. If you make this recipe, you’ll be able to use various cooked bean curd for different dishes. For example, you can use cooked bean curd in dishes like soup, stir-fries, or bean noodles.
This is the most delicious and quick-fix version of Szechwan-style bean curd I’ve ever eaten. It’s bursting with flavor, but is quick and easy to make – which is a good thing because it’s one of the few dishes I’m able to make at my office!
How to Make a Bean Curd Szechuan Style
Bean curd is a trendy, comforting, and delicious dish. So, if you want to incorporate this classic Chinese dish into your diet, this recipe is the one for you. It’s easy to make, quick to cook, and tastes even better than it sounds.
Ingredients
- Tofu (patted dry and cubed), 8–12 ounces
- Peanut oil or High heat oil, 2 tablespoons
- Generous pinch salt and pepper
- onion (thinly sliced), 1/2 cup
- Sliced mushrooms, 4 ounces (optional)
- Shredded cabbage, 2 cups
- Shredded carrots or matchstick, 1 cup
- Red bell pepper, 1/2 (Thinly Sliced)
- Asparagus, snap peas, or green beans, 1 cup
- Small Dried Red Chinese or Arbol chilies, 6-8 (optional)
- Szechuan Sauce and more to taste!, 1/4 cup (please multiply if doubling or tripling the recipe)
- Scallions, sesame seeds, chili flakes (garnish)
Instructions
Step 1
In a skillet, heat the oil. Add salt and pepper generously. I generally use 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt per 1/2 pounds of tofu. Spread the seasoned oil evenly over the tofu. Add tofu and sear for at least two minutes, until golden and crispy. Wait patiently. Place aside.
Step 2
Using the same pan, add a little more oil if needed, onion, and mushrooms and sauté over medium-high heat – stirring constantly, until tender, approximately 3 minutes. Add the remaining veggies, add the dried red chilies if you want, and reduce heat to medium and sauté tossing & stirring for 3-5 minutes or until all the veggies are just tender. The veggies should still be vibrant and slightly crisp.
Step 3
Start with 1/4 cup of Szechuan Sauce and add more to taste. The sauce needs to be multiplied if you cook more than one batch. Let the sauce thicken for 2 minutes. Put the crispy tofu (or shrimp, or chicken) right at the end, just to warm it up.
Step 4
Distribute among bowls. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions. For extra heat, add chili flakes.
Step 5
If you want, you can serve it over rice or noodles… and do not eat the dried chilies!
Bean Curd Szechuan Style Recipe
Type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Recipe Yield: 2 servings
Preparation Time: 15M
Cooking Time: 15M
Total Time: 30M
Also Read: Chamorro Red Rice Recipe
