Name: Black Pepper Tofu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Singaporean
Ingredients: 500 g Tofu; 3 tbsp Cornstarch; 2 tbsp Black Pepper; 4 tbsp Butter; 3 tbsp Soy Sauce; 1 tbsp Brown Sugar; 4 cloves Garlic; 1 thumb Ginger; 2 Red Chili; 4 Scallions; 2 portions Jasmine Rice

Singaporean · Dinner · All year

Black Pepper Tofu

4.6 · community

15m

Prep

15m

Cook

Easy

Level

420

Energy

Ottolenghi-made-famous, hawker-born: crisp tofu in a butter-soy sauce absolutely loaded with coarse black pepper — a cracked-peppercorn thunderstorm.

What you need

Ingredients

Servings

Before you start

Mise en place

Equipment

Large skillet

Chef's knife

Cutting board

Prep checklist

Tofu — firm, cubed, pressed dry

Black Pepper — coarsely ground — yes, two tablespoons

Red Chili — sliced

3 steps

Method

Toss dried tofu in cornstarch; shallow-fry in a little oil until golden-crusted all over, 8 minutes. Set aside.

8 min — timer available in cooking mode

Melt the butter; soften garlic, ginger, and chili 2 minutes; add the pepper and let it BLOOM in the fat 30 seconds — the room will announce it.

3 min — timer available in cooking mode

Why this works

Two tablespoons is not a typo. Bloomed in butter, black pepper becomes a warm, floral force instead of a sneeze.

Soy and sugar in; tofu tossed through until lacquered; scallions last. Rice essential — the sauce is a controlled burn.

2 min — timer available in cooking mode

From the pass

Chef's notes

Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.

Afterwards

Keep, reheat & pair

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.

Freezing

Freezes well up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating

Reheat gently: covered in a 160°C oven for 15 minutes, or in a pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock. The microwave works at 50% power in short bursts — full blast toughens proteins.

Make ahead

Most braises and sauces improve overnight. Sear-and-serve dishes: do every step up to the final cook, then finish fresh.

Wine pairing

Match the weight of the dish — ask the AI Chef for a specific bottle.

Beer pairing

Match intensity: lagers for delicate dishes, amber ales for roasted flavors, stouts for the rich and braised.

On the plate

Serve it with

Sides

Crusty bread or buttered rice

A sharp green salad

Roasted seasonal vegetables

Garnish

Fresh herbs added off the heat

A squeeze of lemon

Flaky salt

Taste map

Flavour profile

Sweet

Salty

Sour

Bitter

Umami

Heat

Per serving

Nutrition

420

kcal

22g

protein

24g

carbs

26g

fat

fiber

520mg

sodium

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Your notes

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