Salt & Pepper Tofu with Pak Choi
Cornflour-dusted tofu goes craggy in the basket, pak choi joins late, and the garlic and chilli go in at the very end so they toast rather than scorch.
Why it works
A thin coat of cornflour pulls surface moisture off the tofu and sets into a shell, giving the shattery edges a deep-fryer would — without the litre of oil. The aromatics go in for the last two minutes only, because sliced garlic and chilli turn bitter long before tofu is ready. The rice goes on the hob before the basket starts, so it is steaming and resting by the time the tofu rattles.
Method
- Boil the kettle and heat the air fryer to 200°C (400°F). Tip the rinsed rice into a small pan with the salt and boiling water, return it to the boil, then cover and cook at the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Leave it covered off the heat until you serve.
- Roll the tofu in the cornflour on your board until evenly dusty, then tip into the basket and toss with 2 tbsp of the oil. Air fry 8 minutes, shaking firmly at 4 minutes and scattering the broccoli in as you do.
- Meanwhile, crush the peppercorns and mix with the white pepper, salt and sugar.
- Toss the pak choi with the remaining oil, pile it into the basket and air fry 2 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli and spring onions and air fry 2 minutes more — the tofu deep gold, the pak choi stems still squeaky at the base. The basket will be full by now, so shake it hard rather than stirring.
- Fork the rice loose into four warm bowls. Tip the tofu and greens over, scatter the salt and pepper mix on while everything is still hot, and toss once so it clings. Serve immediately.
For the toddler
Lift a few tofu cubes and some broccoli out of the basket at the start of step 4, before the chilli and garlic go in, and well before the salt and pepper mix is scattered at step 5 — that mix is flaky salt and pepper and cannot be shaken off once it is on. Cut the tofu into small cubes and the broccoli into soft finger-length strips. A quarter of an adult bowl is plenty.
How the toddler notes workChef’s notes
King oyster mushrooms in thick coins take the same treatment and timings. Prawns need only 5 minutes.
Skip the pressing — extra-firm tofu blotted hard with a tea towel is dry enough. Three 250 g pouches of cooked rice save you the pan.
Chilli oil and black vinegar at the table, or cucumber smashed with the flat of a knife and steeped in rice vinegar with a pinch of sugar.
The coating softens overnight. Bring it back with 4 minutes at 200°C rather than a microwave.