Seared tofu, scorched-chilis, lip-tingling Sichuan pepper, golden peanuts, and a flavorful “lychee-flavored” sauce will keep you coming back to this vegan gong bao (kung pao) tofu recipe again and again. If you think you don’t like tofu, this dish will change your mind.
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Brief History
Our gong bao doufu (kung pao tofu) is the vegan version of gong bao ji ding (kung pao chicken). While you may be thinking that gong bao ji ding is “Americanized Chinese food”, gong bao ji ding dates to the Qing Dynasty. The dish is named after a late Qing Dynasty official named Ding Baozhen. His title in the palace was gongbao, which means palace guardian. The exact origins of gond bao chicken are hotly disputed with some saying he brought it from Guizhou to Sichuan and others saying he discovered it while eating in a local restaurant.
Guizhou, Shandong, and Sichuan all claim the dish as their own and it is prepared with slight variations in each region. The Sichuan version, which we think is best, uses peanuts, whereas other regions do not. We adapted this dish to be vegetarian and based on a variation we had at a restaurant in Lanzhou.
Our Variation
Eating gong bao chicken in Lanzhou, China was one of Mark’s first experiences with the pleasant lip-tingling sensation of Sichuan peppers. The small 10-table restaurant was humming with activity as we took a seat by the window. The view through the window revealed street vendors busily selling grilled skewers, fresh melons, and sugar-coated hawthorn fruit. We ordered kung pao chicken and sipped fresh flower tea that was slowly infusing with rock sugar at the bottom of the glass.
The gong bao was placed on the table and the bright green diced celtuce glistening in sauce caught our eye. Serving gong bao with diced celtuce was unique to this restaurant and is not common in all areas of China. We think the satisfying crunch and slightly sweet flavor of celtuce compliments the gong bao sauce, so we are including it in our vegan gong bao tofu recipe. We will also provide other vegetables you can substitute for celtuce if you do not have access to an Asian market.
Ingredients
Here is everything you need to make a glorious vegan gong bao tofu.
- Tofu – We used firm tofu because it sears well and holds up to stir-frying. Despite what you may have heard, you do not need to press your tofu first as long as you buy firm or extra firm tofu. You can take it out of the package and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before use. This will drain excess water retained in storage - we never do this and do not feel like it is needed. Read our article on different types of tofu to learn about varieties and their uses.
- Celtuce (wōsǔn) – Celtuce is a cultivar of lettuce. Both the thick stem (what we use in this recipe) and the leaves can be eaten. You can find this vegetable at many Chinese and Korean markets. When preparing make sure you peel it thoroughly with a vegetable peeler or knife. Do not leave any white strips since these are very chewy. You want to see only the crisp and delicate interior when finished (see picture below). You can substitute celery if you do not have access to an Asian market. We use celery when we don’t have celtuce on hand and it is a great alterative!
- Roasted/fried peanuts – fried and boiled peanuts are commonly enjoyed as a side dish in parts of China. Here is a simple recipe for our fried peanuts that can be used in this dish. Alternatively, you can use any roasted (unflavored) peanuts you have on hand.
- Chili peppers – whole dried red Chili peppers, Sichuan varieties if possible. These are not to be confused with the Sichuan pepper (hua jiao) below. Sichuan chili peppers have more depth of flavor and provide medium heat. These can be found at your local Asian market, on Amazon, or online at the Mala Market.
- Sichuan pepper - Hua jiao is a spice (a berry to be exact) commonly used in Sichuan cuisine. It grows on spiky shrubs which can shred the hands of those who pick it. It's grown in other regions as well, but the varieties that come out of Sichuan are renowned. For novices, one of the first things you will notice when eating hua jiao is a pleasant tingling numbing effect. This is due to a molecule called sanshool. Like most of the dry ingredients, these can be purchased on Amazon, or for the best quality, order from the Mala Market.
- Green onions – white parts only
- Ginger – fresh, does not need to be peeled
- Garlic cloves – fresh
For the sauce
- Chinese black vinegar – we prefer Zhenjiang vinegar, and it is readily available at many Asian markets. You can buy it online at Amazon, but it costs about three times as much as it should. Alternatively you can buy Sichuan Baoning vinegar from the Mala Market. This is a premium aged vinegar that is worth the price.
- Soy sauce – Regular Chinese soy sauce. Some brands call regular soy sauce light soy sauce to distinguish it from dark soy sauce. This is not to be confused with some brands calling low sodium versions “light.”
- Dark soy sauce – Chinese dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, and a little sweet due to added sugar. Usually used in smaller amounts for color and to add complexity of flavor. We usually buy the Pearl River Bridge brand which can be bought online. This can be difficult to find in “Western” grocery stores, but is readily available at Chinese and Korean markets – this is cheaper than buying online.
- Sesame oil – toasted sesame oil. It can usually be found in the “Asian section” of your local grocery store or if you have access to a Chinese market, you will have an abundance of options. We usually buy the Kadoya brand.
- Corn or potato starch – this is used to thicken your sauce at the end. Either corn or potato starch will work fine.
- Sugar – fine or superfine white sugar.
- Salt – fine table salt.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Gather all of your ingredients before beginning to cook. Dice the tofu and peeled celtuce into ½ inch cubes. Peel and cut the garlic gloves in half. Use scissors or your knife to cut the chili peppers into ¾ inch sections – discard any seeds that fall out.
Slice the fresh ginger into approximately two-inch pieces – no need to peel. Cut the green onion whites into small pieces roughly the size of the size of the celtuce cubes.
Sauce: Combine the soy sauces, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and starch in a small bowl. Stir until the starch dissolves into the liquid.
Heat the wok or large high sided pan on medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and carefully rotate around the side of the wok- adding oil to a hot wok/pan increases the non-stick properties.
Add cubed tofu to the wok and stir-fry until seared and golden brown. Remove cooked tofu from the wok and place on a plate. You will add the tofu back to the wok after stir-frying the aromatics. If your wok/pan is not thoroughly seasoned, you may use a non-stick skillet so the tofu does not stick to the pan.
Add one tablespoon of cooking oil to the hot wok. Quickly add the chilis and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until they are fragrant and the chilis are just beginning to darken.
Next, add the garlic, ginger, and green onions to the wok and stir-fry until they smell fragrant, and the garlic is just starting to brown on the edges.
Add the celtuce and stir-fry around 2 minutes. Tip: Celtuce can be eaten raw so don’t worry if you have cooked it enough. You want the celtuce to still have a nice crunch when everything is finished.
Tip the tofu from the plate back into the wok. Add the peanuts at the same time. Stir-fry another 2 minutes or so allowing the flavor of the aromatics to fuse with the tofu.
Stir the sauce to ensure the starch is mixed thoroughly and then pour it in a circular fashion distributing evenly over the tofu. Continuously stir the sauce so that it is distributed evenly. As the sauce heats up it will begin to thicken and will coat the tofu and other ingredients. Once thickened, transfer your kung pao tofu (gong bao doufu) to a plate and serve while still hot.
Serve while still hot!
Hint: You may use a non-stick skillet to sear the tofu if your wok is not seasoned thoroughly.
Substitutions and Variations
- Celery – Celery can be substituted in place of celtuce if you do not have access to a Chinese market. We do this periodically and the dish is still superb.
- Lotus root – Instead of tofu try using lotus root (Lián'ǒu) as the main ingredient to keep it interesting. The holes in the lotus root do an excellent job of holding onto the kung pao sauce.
- Sichuan numbing peppers – the Sichuan numbing peppers (huājiāo) can be ground into a powder before cooking if you prefer not to have whole pieces of Sichuan numbing peppers in the sauce. Personally, we like them whole because they pack a stronger lip-tingling sensation when biting into one.
Equipment
The high sloping sides of a well-seasoned wok are ideal for stir-frying, but if you do not have a wok you can use a large pan with high sides.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in a non-stick pan. That is, if you can resist not eating it all in one sitting!
Top tip
Ensure the tofu is seared to a golden brown so that it will be slightly chewy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Kung Pao Tofu with Celtuce
Ingredients
- 16 ounces tofu firm or extra firm
- 1 stalk celtuce peeled and diced
- ½ cup fried or roasted peanuts
- 3 whole dried Sichuan red chilis (.3 ounces or 6 grams) chopped
- 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns can grind if you prefer
- 1 Scallion white portion only, chopped in ½ inch sections
- 4 slices fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic cut in half
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar Zhenjiang prefered
- 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1.5 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1.5 teaspoons corn or potato starch
- 2 teaspoons fine white sugar
Instructions
- Dice the tofu and peeled celtuce into ½ inch cubes. Peel and then cut the garlic gloves in half. Slice the fresh ginger into approximately one-inch pieces – no need to peel.16 ounces tofu, 3 cloves garlic, 4 slices fresh ginger
- Cut the green onion whites into small pieces roughly the size of the size of the celtuce cubes. Use scissors or your knife to cut the chili peppers into ¾ inch sections– discard any seeds that fall out.1 Scallion, 3 whole dried Sichuan red chilis (.3 ounces or 6 grams)
- Sauce: Combine the soy sauces, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and starch in a small bowl. Stir until the starch dissolves into the liquid.3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar, 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1.5 teaspoons corn or potato starch, 2 teaspoons fine white sugar, 1.5 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- Heat the wok or large high sided pan on medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and carefully rotate around the side of the wok- adding oil to a hot wok/pan increases the non-stick properties.
- Add cubed tofu to the wok and stir-fry until seared and golden brown. Remove cooked tofu from the wok and place on a plate. You will add the tofu back to the wok after stir-frying the aromatics. If your wok/pan is not thoroughly seasoned, you may use a non-stick skillet so the tofu does not stick to the pan.16 ounces tofu
- Add one table spoon of cooking oil to the hot wok. Quickly add the chilis and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until they are fragrant and the chilis are just beginning to darken.3 whole dried Sichuan red chilis (.3 ounces or 6 grams), 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
- Next, add the garlic, ginger, and green onions to the wok and stir-fry until they smell fragrant, and the garlic is just starting to brown on the edges.1 Scallion, 3 cloves garlic, 4 slices fresh ginger
- Add the celtuce and stir-fry around 2 minutes. Tip: Celtuce can be eaten raw so don’t worry if you have cooked it enough. You want the celtuce to still have a nice crunch when everything is finished.1 stalk celtuce
- Tip the tofu from the plate back into the wok. Add the peanuts at the same time. Stir-fry another 2 minutes or so allowing the flavor of the aromatics to fuse with the tofu.16 ounces tofu, ½ cup fried or roasted peanuts
- Stir the sauce to ensure the starch is mixed thoroughly and then pour it in a circular fashion distributing evenly over the tofu. Continuously stir the sauce so that it is distributed evenly. As the sauce heats up it will begin to thicken and will coat the tofu and other ingredients. Once thickened, transfer your kung pao tofu (gong bao doufu) to a plate and serve while still hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition disclaimer
malaeats.com is created for informational purposes only. Although we do our best to provide nutritional information to our readers as a general guideline, we are not certified nutritionists and the nutritional values provided should be considered estimates. Numerous factors such as variations in fresh ingredients, brands purchased, etc. will alter the nutritional values in any recipe. Different online calculators also provide different results depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, please use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities you used.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods (less than 2 hours is recommended by the CDC).
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
See more guidelines at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention website.
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