Lemon Tofu

Lemon Tofu

You can find Lemon Chicken in many Chinese restaurants in Europe and it tends to be a glooey lemony paste served on thickly-battered fried chicken filet. Just to say that I never order this dish if I can help it.

But it's so easy to make that it would be a pity not to do so in the privacy of one's kitchen. I replaced the chicken with panko-breaded tofu yesterday and even the MIL thought that my Lemon Tofu was delicious. She was surprised that tofu could taste so good.

Lemon Tofu :

3 firm Tofu (sliced into smaller cubes)

Egg white

Salt

Panko bread crumbs

Oil for deep-frying

2 Tsp Sesame Oil

1 Garlic clove (chopped)

1 Bird's eye chilli

2-3 Tbsp Sugar

Juice of 1 large Lemon

1/2 Tsp light Soy sauce

1 Tsp Dry Sherry

3-5 Tbsp Chicken stock

1 Tsp Cornstarch dissolved in some water

***The ingredients for the sauce have been given in estimation. I tasted and adjusted my seasonings as I prepared the sauce. It should be acidic, slightly salty and sweet at the same time. And if you like it hot like me, the chilli adds a tang to the whole taste.

Dip the tofu cubes in egg white and coat them evenly with panko bread crumbs. Fry them in hot oil till lightly golden-brown, drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the sesame oil and fry the garlic followed by the chilli.

Add the sugar, lemon juice, soy sauce and sherry. Stir to mix well and dissolve the sugar.

Pour in the chicken stock.

Add the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce.

Pour the sauce over the fried tofu cubes and serve it immediately.