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Salt & Pepper Tofu

Name: Salt & Pepper Tofu
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 400 g firm tofu; 20 g cornstarch; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 0.25 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp white pepper; 2 pieces garlic cloves, minced; 1 pieces scallion, sliced

椒盐豆腐 · Jiāo yán dòu fu

Tofu cubes pan-fried with a thin starch coating, then lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and scallion.

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Prep12 min

Cook15 min

Serves2

DifficultyEasy

Salt & Pepper Tofu — illustrative dish photo; ingredients may differ — Illustrative dish photography · credits below · Neodymium+Nd · CC BY 4.0

Recipe guide · not yet kitchen-testedAI-assisted editorial draft. Timing depends on your stove, pan, and ingredient size. Use the doneness checks below.

Let’s get cooking

01
Dry and cut
Drain tofu and gently press between clean kitchen paper to remove surface moisture. Cut 2 cm cubes.
02
Thinly coat
Toss cubes in starch just before cooking. Mix salt and pepper separately.
03
Pan-fry
Heat oil over medium heat. Cook in batches, turning carefully for 8–12 minutes until several sides are lightly golden and hot inside.
04
Finish
Lower heat. Add garlic and scallion, toss briefly, then sprinkle the salt-pepper mix and turn to coat.

A little kitchen wisdom

Starch sticks better to a dry surface. Do not cook wet cubes in crowded oil.

Can’t find an ingredient?

Cornstarch: Potato starch can give a slightly different crisp surface.

Cook safely

Serve freshly cooked; refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly. Check packaged ingredients for allergens.

FoodSafety.gov guidance ↗

Salt & Pepper Tofu

Let’s get cooking

Dry and cut

Thinly coat

Pan-fry

Finish

A little kitchen wisdom

Can’t find an ingredient?

Cook safely

Something else for the table

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