Sweet and Sour Tofu “Chicken” Balls

Before you start

Deep saucepan | Skewers

Method

Prepare ingredients

Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Tear the tofu into large bite-sized pieces – roughly 1.5 inches | Season the tofu lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.

Mix the batter

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, cornflour, and baking powder | Gradually add around 75ml of cold water while whisking until you get a smooth, thick batter | Stir in Spice Tailor Sweet and Sour base paste and a pinch of salt and pepper | It should be the consistency of pancake batter – add a touch more water if too thick, or a bit more flour if too thin.

Prep for frying

Heat the oven to 150ºC and line an oven tray | Pour the oil into a deep saucepan over a medium heat for 8-10 | Test the heat by dropping a little batter – it should sizzle | Do not heat on medium high or high or the oil will become too hot and unsafe | If you have a thermometer, heat it to 180ºC-200°C.

Cook tofu

Working in batches, dip each tofu cube into the batter using a skewer to keep your hands clean and keep a nice shape, ensuring it’s fully coated, and then carefully lower it into the hot oil on the skewer | Hold the ball just under the surface of the oil for 10 seconds at first to let the outer layer set then push the tofu off with a fork | Fry 4–5 pieces at a time, being sure not to overcrowd the pan fry the tofu balls for about 4-5 minutes until they and turn golden brown | Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the fried tofu balls, letting excess oil drip off and transfer to the lined tray and put in the oven to keep warm | Repeat until all tofu pieces are cooked | Keep the fried tofu warm in a low oven while you finish the rest, if needed.

Make the sauce

In a clean, dry pan | Add whole spices and stir-fry for 20–30 seconds until fragrant | Pour in the Sweet and Sour main sauce and bring to a simmer | Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

Serve

Enjoy by tossing the tofu balls in a large bowl with the sauce and sesame seeds or keep crispy and dip into the sauce | Garnish with spring onions and get eating!