Black Pepper-Crusted Tofu

with Garlic Rice & Chinese Broccoli

2 Servings

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From the Test Kitchen

Chinese broccoli is a nutritious, leafy green beloved in Cantonese cooking. Despite its name, it’s actually a type of kale, although it does have a small number of miniature, broccoli-like florets. In this recipe, we use the entire, delicious vegetable, from stems to leaves, stir-frying it to perfection with regional aromatics and serving it alongside fragrant, garlic-infused rice and savory tofu coated in crushed peppercorns.

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Nutrition

PER SERVING
Calories

500 Cals (est.)

fresh

ingredients

1 14-Ounce Package Extra Firm Tofu
1 cup Jasmine Rice
5 cloves Garlic
3 Scallions
¾ lb Chinese Broccoli
2 Tbsps Sweet Soy Sauce
1 1-Inch Piece Ginger
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Tbsp Ponzu Sauce
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns

time-saving

tips & techniques

step-by-step

instructions

Cook Along

1 Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Drain the tofu and pat it dry with paper towels; cut it into 6 planks. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Peel and mince the ginger. Cut off and discard the roots of the scallions; separate the white bottoms and green tops. Thinly slice the bottoms; slice the tops into ¼-inch pieces. Separate the Chinese broccoli stems and leaves; thinly slice the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Using a spice grinder or the bottom of a heavy pan, crack the black peppercorns in small batches (10 to 15 at a time), until they resemble a coarse grind.

2 Make the garlic rice:

In a small pot, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the three quarters of the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until toasted. Add 2 cups of water and a big pinch of salt; increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff the finished rice with a fork.

3 Brown the tofu:

While the rice cooks, place the cornstarch in a small bowl. Add the tofu; toss to coat. Remove the tofu and sprinkle on all sides with as much of the crushed black peppercorns as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Gently press the pepper into the tofu. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned tofu and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Wipe out the pan.

4 Cook the vegetables:

While the rice continues to cook, in the same pan used to cook the tofu, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium until hot. Add the ginger, white parts of the scallions, Chinese broccoli stems and remaining garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the Chinese broccoli leaves and ¼ cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

5 Add the tofu & sauces:

Just before the rice is finished, add the sweet soy sauce, ponzu sauce and sesame oil to the pan of vegetables. Add the browned tofu and cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.