Tofu in pepper sauce

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 500g tofu
• 100 g glass noodles, Chinese
• 3 m.-large onion(s), (preferably red)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 large red chili pepper(s)
• 4 tbsp oil (peanut oil)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 250 ml vegetable stock, maybe a little more
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp rice wine, (sake, alternatively dry sherry)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce, more if desired
• ½ tsp sugar
• some black pepper, coarsely ground

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

spicy, hot Asian dish from the wok

Place the tofu on a flat plate, weigh it down with a wooden board, and place two full cans (or similar) on top. Press for 30 minutes. Heat plenty of water and let the glass noodles soak for about 3 minutes, then pour into a fine sieve and drain thoroughly. Peel the onions, halve them, and finely slice them. Peel the garlic and finely dice or press it. Remove the stem from the chili pepper, halve it, and thoroughly deseed it. Rinse the pod halves, pat dry, and cut crosswise into fine strips. Pat the tofu dry and cut into 1-2 cm cubes. Then heat the wok with 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Fry the onions, garlic, and chili pepper over high heat until the onions are translucent. Remove everything. Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil and gently brown the tofu, turning occasionally. Keep warm on the draining rack. Cut the glass noodles into approximately 10 cm long pieces (don’t do this sooner, as they will shatter). Heat the remaining oil together with the sesame oil and fry the glass noodles until crispy. Remove and set aside briefly. Pour the stock into the wok and bring to a boil. Whisk the cornstarch with the sake/sherry until smooth and thicken the stock. If you prefer a lighter consistency, add a little more stock. Add the tofu cubes and onion mixture and mix well. Season with soy sauce, sugar, and pepper. Now add the glass noodles and mix very carefully.