Vegan General Tso’s “Chicken” | 纯素左宗棠“鸡” | Bold in Flavor Totally Addictive【Rice Killer】

A Chinese Dish That’s Not Really From China. General Tso’s Chicken: bold, sweet, spicy, and totally addictive. Most Chinese people have never tasted it—me included, until recently. Today, I’m sharing a tofu-based vegan take on this rice-loving classic.
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【Ingredients】
A. Making Tofu Balls:

400g firm tofu (pressed, not overly dry)
30g all-purpose flour
10g cornstarch (flour:starch = 3:1)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Chinese 13-spice powder (or substitute with five-spice powder)
30g finely chopped carrot
2 tsp vegetable oil (mixed into the tofu)
200–300g canola oil for frying

B. Dry Batter Coating:

30g all-purpose flour
10g cornstarch (flour:starch = 3:1)

C. Sauce:

3 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1.5 tbsp vinegar (Chinese black vinegar preferred, or substitute with apple cider or rice vinegar)
1.5 tbsp ketchup
1 hint white pepper
1.5 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp water
1 tsp sesame oil

D. For Stir-Frying:

2–3 cloves or 1 tsp grated garlic,
20g or 1 tbsp f grated fresh ginger,
1 tbsp oil
3–5 dried chilies (optional, adjust to taste)
Toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
1–2 stalks of bok choy or broccoli (blanched for plating)
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【Instructions】

1. Prepare the tofu: Wrap 400g of firm tofu in cheesecloth and gently press to remove excess moisture. It doesn’t need to be bone-dry — some moisture helps bind the flour. Mash the tofu in a mixing bowl using a spatula.
2. Prepare the carrot: Julienne the carrot first, then finely dice into small bits.
3. Make the tofu mixture: Combine all ingredients from section A in a bowl. Mix well with a spatula or your hands until evenly combined. Shape into bite-sized balls or irregular nuggets to resemble chicken pieces.
4. Coat with dry mix: In a shallow dish, mix the flour and cornstarch from section B. Roll the tofu pieces in the mixture until evenly coated. Set aside.
5. Prepare the sauce: Mix all ingredients from section C in a bowl. Stir until the sugar and starch are fully dissolved. Set aside.
6. Prep aromatics: Mince or grate the garlic and ginger. Cut some dried chilies into small pieces and leave others whole for visual contrast and layering of heat.
7. First fry: Heat enough canola oil in a pan to 150°C (300°F) over medium heat. Gently drop in tofu balls and fry until light golden, about 2–3 minutes. Remove and drain.
8. Second fry (for crispiness): Increase oil temperature to 180°C (355°F). Re-fry the tofu pieces briefly, about 1 minute, until golden and crispy. Remove and drain excess oil.
9. Make the sauce base: In a clean pan or wok, add 1 tbsp oil. Sauté the ginger, garlic, and dried chilies over low heat until fragrant.
10. Add the sauce: Pour in the prepared sauce mixture. Stir over medium heat until it begins to thicken into a glaze.
11. Toss in tofu: Add the fried tofu balls to the sauce. Stir-fry until the sauce evenly coats every piece.
12. Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with blanched bok choy or broccoli and steamed rice.
Let’s eat!🍚🌶️
Rice Killer
-------以下中文------
这道诞生在美国的中餐菜肴，绝大多数中国人没吃过。我也只是最近才领略了它大胆而浓厚的风味——绝对的“米饭杀手”！今天来做纯素版的左宗棠
“鸡”（豆腐版）

【食材】
A做豆腐丸子：
400g老豆腐
30中筋面粉
10g玉米淀粉 （面粉与淀粉3：1）
1茶匙糖
1茶匙盐
1/2茶匙十三香（或者用五香粉替代）
30g切碎的胡萝卜
2茶匙油（加入丸子）
200-300g菜籽油canola oil用于炸丸子

B做脆炸粉：
60g中筋粉
20g玉米淀粉（面粉与淀粉3：1）

C制作酱汁：
3 汤匙生抽
3 汤匙糖
1茶匙盐
1.5 汤匙醋（如果没有中国陈醋可以用苹果醋或者米醋代替）
1 .5汤匙番茄酱
少许白胡椒粉
1 .5茶匙玉米淀粉
3汤匙水
1 茶匙芝麻油

D炒菜需要的材料：
2-3瓣大蒜泥（1汤匙左右蒜泥）
1汤匙姜泥
1汤匙油
3-5根干辣椒(不吃辣的可以忽略）
熟白芝麻（作为装盘后的点缀）
1-2根油菜（焯水作为装盘装饰）

【步骤做法】

1. 400g老豆腐用纱布挤干水分。不用特别干，需要一些水分与面粉混合形成粘性。把老豆腐在料理盆中用刮刀碾碎。
2. 胡萝卜先切成丝再切成小丁。
3. 将A部分的全部材料混合，用刮刀或者直接用手搅拌均匀，并分成一口大小的一个个丸子（或者类似鸡块的不规则小块）
4. 将B材料在盘中混合，把豆腐丸子均匀地包裹上粉类，备用。
5. 将C中的所有材料混合调成料汁备用。
6. 大蒜和姜研磨成泥或者切碎。干辣椒一部分切碎，一部分保持完整。
7. 锅里倒入足够的菜籽油，中火加热到150摄氏度，逐个下入豆腐丸子，炸到浅黄色，大约2-3分钟，盛出备用。
8. 油温升高到180摄氏度，将炸过的丸子再次下入油锅中复炸，大约1分钟即可。捞出控油备用。
9. 锅中留1汤匙油，小火，加入姜泥、蒜泥和干辣椒稍微煸炒出香气。
10. 加入调好的料汁，中火加热不断搅拌到料汁开始变浓稠。
11. 下入炸好的丸子，翻炒到丸子裹满料汁即可盛出。
12. 撒上白芝麻点缀。可以搭配烫过的油菜或者西蓝花配米饭。

开动吧！