Spicy Silken Tofu (cold)
Spicy Silken Tofu is perfect for a hot day, I like to pair it with a simple pickled cucumber salad or a bowl of fluffy steamed rice.
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A cool dish for a hot day
My Spicy Silken Tofu recipe is the perfect lunch or light dinner on a hot summer day. Not only is it really quick to make, but the cold, smooth tofu is really soothing. Chilled silken tofu dishes like this are often eaten in China and Japan when the temperature is hot and humidity is particularly high.
The goods news is that Spicy Silken Tofu couldn’t be easier to make. Simply whisk together the soy sauce, spicy red bean paste, sesame oil, sugar and garlic. No one wants to spend ages cooking in a hot kitchen which this recipe allows you to avoid.
Carefully slice the silken tofu into cubes and lay it in your serving dish or plate. Pour over the sauce over it and garnish with fresh spring onions, crispy fried shallots, coriander leaves and sesame seeds.
Different types of tofu
This recipe calls for silken tofu, a type of tofu that you may or may not be familiar with.
When most people think of tofu they think of firm tofu (also known a Momen tofu) which is almost bouncy and spongy in texture. Silken tofu (also known as Kinugoshi tofu) on the other hand is much more fragile. It wobbles like jelly on the plate and will flake and break up if you touch it.
Spicy silken tofu is a dish best served cold. Because of the texture of silken tofu it simply slips down your throat making it a delicious, soothing dish, perfect for hot humid days.
The recipe
Spicy Silken Tofu (chilled)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon spicy bean paste see notes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 0.5 teaspoon sugar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 300 grams silken tofu
- 2 spring onions thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional
- crispy fried onions optional
- fresh coriander optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, bean paste, sesame oil, sugar and garlic.
- Slice the tofu into cubes.
- Carefully transfer the cubes onto your serving plate or bowl.
- Pour over the sauce then top with the spring onions, sesame seeds, crispy fried onions and coriander leaves if using.
Notes
What is spicy bean paste?
Spicy bean paste (also known as doubanjiang or tobanjiang) is a paste made from fermented soybeans, broad beans, and chilies. It comes in jars and can be found in any good Asian supermarket or online. It’s a key ingredient for Sichuan (Szechuan) cooking. It has a savoury, umami flavour and is both spicy, and salty.Are there any alternatives to spicy bean paste?
You could easily make your own with the ingredients I’ve mentioned above. At a push you could use gochujang, a red chilli paste that is a core component of Korean cooking. Gochujang is also made with fermented soy beans and chilli but one of the key differences is that gochujang is made from rice instead of broad beans. I find that gochujang is sweeter than doubanjiang so you may need to adjust the seasoning if you use it as a substitute in this dish.Nutrition
Serving suggestion
As this Spicy Silken Tofu is perfect for a hot day, I like to pair it with a simple Pickled Cucumber Salad. The Pickled Cucumber Salad is really refreshing and a real palette cleanser which takes the edge off some of the spice of this dish.
It also works really well with a bowl of fluffy steamed rice.
More Asian inspired recipes
For more recipes inspired by different cultures and cuisines, check out my global recipe archive.
As always, your feedback is super important to me so please do leave a star rating or a comment if you try this dish!