Chile Tofu

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated June 4, 2026

  • Andrew Bui for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Kaitlin Wayne.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
35 min
Rating
5(550)
Comments
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This spicy, tangy and bold dish is a vegan take on chile paneer, the popular Indo-Chinese stir-fry (the fusion cuisine arose from Chinese immigrants in Kolkata, India, adapting their cooking style to suit Indian palates). Here, tofu is dusted in cornstarch before pan-frying, locking in its moisture so that it stays bouncy, while also creating a crispy exterior that holds onto the sauce. The aromatic base of ginger, garlic, green chiles and soy sauce is combined with sharply acidic additions of ketchup, sriracha and rice vinegar to create a punchy sauce that is salty, sweet and piquant. Serve with rice for a simple yet exciting weeknight meal.

Watch Hetty Lui McKinnon make this dish in this video.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ½ cup cornstarch 

  • Sea salt and black pepper

  • 16 ounces extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil such as vegetable or avocado, divided

  • 1 red or yellow onion, halved and cut into 1-inch chunks 

  • 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • ½ to 1 jalapeño, trimmed and thinly sliced (remove seeds for less heat)

  • 1 bell pepper (any color), core removed and cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 1 head (10-ounces) broccoli, trimmed and cut into small, bite-sized florets

  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

  • White rice, to serve

 

For the sauce

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup 

  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon sriracha (or other chile sauce such as sambal oelek)

  • 1 tablespoon organic cane sugar

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch 

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

37 grams carbs; 313 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 10 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 721 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 8 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Scatter ½ cup cornstarch onto a large plate or tray, season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a big pinch of black pepper and stir to combine. Add the tofu cubes and toss until coated on all sides.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large (12-inch) well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet on medium-high until hot. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of oil (enough to cover the base of the pan) and heat until the oil is hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tofu and pan fry on each side until crispy, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Once all sides are golden, transfer the tofu to a plate.

  3. Step 3

    Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, add the soy sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar, sriracha and sugar and stir to combine. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and ⅓ cup of water and whisk until the cornstarch is completely mixed in and the sauce is lump free.

  4. Step 4

    Place the skillet back over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the onion, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño and toss constantly until the onions have begun to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and broccoli, season with 1 teaspoon of salt and stir fry just until the vegetables are crisp tender (or to your liking), 4 to 6 minutes. Give the sauce a quick stir and then add it to the vegetables and toss for just 20 to 30 seconds, until it has thickened up. Add the tofu and toss until it is coated in the sauce and remove from heat immediately.

  5. Step 5

    To serve, top with scallions and eat with rice. 

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Ratings

5 out of 5
550 user ratings
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Comments

BG

One of my faves is this with a modified sauce: instead of the ketchup/sugar, I use 3T hoisin and back off the soy a bit — and I use a chili-garlic sauce instead of sriracha, so I don’t have to chop garlic. We also airfry the tofu cubes (with cornstarch and oil, 12 min at 400 deg) while prepping the veggies. Fast and great weeknight stir fry!

El

Used tomato paste instead of ketchup and threw some mirin into the sauce because I had it on hand. Wow! So easy, fast, and flavourful. I've been trying to add more vegan recipes into our rotation, and this one's definitely a keeper!

Marmie

@and You can definitely use the sugar you have if you’re not cooking this dish for vegans. The reason it’s in here is not to be precious, it’s because non-organic sugar in the US is processed with animal bone char, which makes the dish not vegan. Some people aren’t strict on this, but many are. If you’re writing a recipe that says it’s vegan-friendly and you don’t specify that, the Vegan Police can call you out hard. And they’re no fun to deal with!

Yespat

I made this tonight. I had the tofu drained and broccoli already prepped the day before and it still took me about two hours to cook. I did blanch the broccoli as another suggested. I used about half of the recommended sugar and it was still too sweet. The amount of sauce was exactly correct. I can’t imagine doubling the sauce as others suggested. After all that work, it was just ok. And the mess in my kitchen! I won’t make this again.

Matt

A+!! This is an excellent recipe! It's a really nice change from other stirfrys I have made.

Cal Ga

Am I wrong, chile is the country, chili is the pepper?

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