Name: Black Pepper Tofu
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 3/4 lbs firm tofu; Vegetable oil for frying; Cornstarch to dust the tofu; 11 tbsp butter; 12 small shallots (12 ounces in total), thinly sliced; 8 fresh red chiles (fairly mild ones), thinly sliced; 12 garlic cloves, crushed; 3 tbsp chopped fresh ginger; 3 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis); 3 tbsp light soy sauce; 4 tsp dark soy sauce; 2 tbsp sugar; 5 tbsp coarsely crushed black peppercorns (use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder); 16 small and thin green onions, cut into 1 1/4-inch segments

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Photo by Jonathan Lovekin

You will definitely surprise yourself with this one. It is an extremely delicious dish that's quick and straightforward to make, but looks as if it's been prepared at a top Chinese restaurant. It is fiery, both from the chiles and the black pepper; you can moderate this by reducing their quantity a little. However, the whole point is spiciness so don't go too far.

Recipe notes

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