Chili tofu

Welcome to To Vegetables, With Love, a celebration of a vegetable life, less ordinary. ‘ Find archived recipes on my recipe index.

My book Tenderheart is available from Books are Magic, Kitchen, Arts and Letters, Book Larder, Bold Fork Books and also here or here.

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A few years ago, I ran an independent food magazine called Peddler Journal. We focused upon small stories which left a lasting impact. We called these the “in-between moments of food”. This is where I first wrote about making gok jai dumpling with my mum, where I delved into childhood and explored the global significance of rice. The magazine provided a safe space for writers (including myself), many first timers, to tap into their memories, using food as a lens to explore culture and the wider world. I encouraged writers to write freely, to be unshackled from the confines of trends and the stereotypes of Western media. Working on Peddler changed the way I thought about food writing. It gave me the courage to push the boundaries, fully exploring how food could serve as a vehicle of exploration of identity and an expression of belonging. Peddler allowed me to be myself and I think it allowed the writers/illustrators/artists who contributed to the magazine the same latitude to fully convey their truths.

At my book talk last week at Platform by James Beard Foundation, while signing copies of TENDERHEART, three people mentioned how much Peddler meant to them. One person said that she felt truly represented in the magazine. I am always deeply moved to hear feedback like this because independent publishing can be thankless/expensive/unprofitable but to be honest, all of the hardship is worth it when I hear stories like this. If I touched one person’s life through Peddler, then it was worth it.

Peddler is currently “on hiatus, as they say in Hollywood. I am feeling an urge to bring it back. I’ll keep thinking on that for now.

While working on Peddler, I developed a deep curiosity about hybrid cuisines. I’m not referring to ‘fusion food’ such as Korean tacos or Indian pizza, but rather the food that emerges from the amalgam of two disparate cultures to form a completely new cuisine. Around the world, there are many blended cuisines, the result of colonial expansion and migration. When Chinese workers, mainly from Guangdong Province, came to Peru to work in the 19th and 20th century, they brought with them ingredients and flavours from their homeland. Chifa cuisine was born, a melting pot of Cantonese and Peruvian food traditions. In Caribbean Chinese cuisine, the result of both forced and voluntarily migration of Chinese labourers to Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Jamaica and Guyana, jerk chicken is served with chow mein noodles and deep fried chicken wings come with sweet and sour sauce. Vietnamese immigrants who resettled on the Gulf Coast and Texas created Viet-Cajun cusine, adding Vietnamese seasonings like lemongrass, green onion, ginger, lime and garlic to seafood dishes, most notably, crawfish boil. Chinese food is treated with Indian spices in Indo-Chinese cuisine, resulting in dishes and flavours that are distinct of their culinary origins. Indo-Chinese food marries the savouriness of Cantonese food, with the fiery heat found in Indian dishes.

I wrote about Indo-Chinese food in the Immigrant issue of Peddler:

The cuisine originated in India at the end of the nineteenth century when Hakka-speaking Chinese immigrated to Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta), settling in an area called Tangra, where many set up leather tanneries. Soon, restaurants were established in the area, gradually incorporating techniques and flavour adjustments, like the addition of more chili, to make food more appealing to Indian customers. Quintessential Indo-Chinese dishes feature spicy gravies, saucy noodles and fried ingredients which are reminiscent of classic Indian fried delicacies such as pakora. The ubiquitous Manchurian chicken (or the vegetarian version made with cauliflower or vegetables) is perhaps the most well-known Indo-Chinese dish - the deep-fried chicken is doused in a sweet and tangy chili-garlic sauce that feels reminiscent of both Chinese and Indian cuisines, but with a bright sensibility that is also completely unique.

This week’s recipe is inspired by one of my favourite Indo-Chinese dishes, chili paneer, where the fresh Indian cheese is tossed in a flavorful spicy sauce made with soy sauce, ketchup, chili sauce, vinegar. My version substitutes tofu for the paneer (though you could use paneer in this recipe if you prefer), and ups the vegetables with the addition of broccoli.

Dark soy sauce imparts a rich, dark stickiness to the dish but if you don’t have it, just substitute with regular soy sauce or tamari. Oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce like I use), hoisin or kecap manis could also be substitutes for the dark soy sauce.

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COOK / EAT / SHARE

Brand new over at NYT Cooking is this gorgeous cabbage parm. Cabbage once again proves that it is one of the most versatile vegetables.

Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Other things to cook this week:

For those enjoying the end of summer corn: Sook Mei Faan (Cantonese Creamed Corn With Tofu and Rice)

For those who can’t stop buying tomatoes (like me): Basil and tomato fried rice

For those who have moved on to soup: Tom Yum Soup With Tofu and Vermicelli

For those with nothing in the pantry: Lemony pearly barley soup

For those who bought too much leek at the market: Miso Leeks With White Beans

EVENT: PHILLY!

Join me in Philadelphia this October for a beautiful TENDERHEART-inspired dinner developed by Chef Tyler Atkins at the beautiful new Bastia in Fishtown. This event is part of the annual Cookbooks and Convos, a celebration of chefs, authors and the Philadelphia Food Community. Reserve your seats here.

PAID SUBSCRIBERS: There are many announcements coming in October including a NYC event and an European sojourn in 2025. Keep an eye out for special mid-week emails coming over the next few weeks.

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🥦 My cookbook, Tenderheart is for cooking vegetables, all year round. Pick up your copy here. It is also mostly vegan (or vegan-izable) and gluten-free adaptable.

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THIS WEEK’S RECIPE

Chili tofu

© Hetty Lui McKinnon for To Vegetables, With Love

Serves 4

Tofu
½ cup cornstarch (cornflour)
sea salt and black pepper
454g (16 ounces) extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
neutral oil

Sauce
4 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
4 teaspoons dark soy sauce (see headnote)
¼ cup ketchup (tomato sauce)
4 teaspoons rice vinegar
3 teaspoons sriracha or other chili sauce
3 teaspoons white sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour)

Stir-fry
neutral oil
2.5cm (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small jalapenos (or long green chili), thinly sliced (remove seeds if you want less heat)
1 large red capsicum (bell pepper), core removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 head (400g / 14 ounces) broccoli, trimmed and cut into small florets
1 red onion, halved and sliced

rice, to serve

Scatter the cornstarch onto a large plate or tray, season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a big pinch of black pepper and toss to combine. Add the tofu and toss until coated on all sides.

Prepare a tray or plate with paper towels.

Place a large skillet on medium high heat, add 2-3 tablespoons of oil, enough to cover the base of the pan and heat until the oil is hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tofu and pan fry on each side until crispy about 1 - 2 minutes. Once all sides are golden, remove the tofu from the pan and transfer them to the prepared paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil. 

In a medium bowl, add the soy sauce, ketchup (tomato sauce), rice vinegar, sriracha and sugar and stir to combine. Add the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water and whisk until the cornstarch is completely mixed in and it’s lump free.

Place the pan back onto medium high heat. Add 1- 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeño and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the capsicum (bell pepper), broccoli and onion, season with 1 teaspoon of salt and stir fry just until the vegetables are crisp tender (or to your liking), about 4-6 minutes. Add the sauce and toss briefly, about 20-30 seconds, until it has thickened up. Add the tofu and toss until it is coated in the sauce. Remove from heat immediately.

Top with scallions and eat with rice.

Chilitofu

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Io Vegetables, With Love is my love letter to vegetables and it is a joy to bring you a new recipe every week. Thank you to everyone who subscribes, especially to paid subscribers who make this work possible.

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