Chinese Sesame Pumfu
A mostly whole-food, plant-based, and vegan-friendly Chinese Sesame Pumfu alternative. It is free from dairy, gluten, grain, nuts, and soy. It takes 10 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to marinate, and 20 minutes to cook, making 4 (or three hefty) servings.
Servings
Ingredients
- Oil of choice (I use cold-pressed avocado oil)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder (I use Anthony’s Arrowroot Flour)
- 1 tsp. grilling chicken seasoning (I use Watkin’s Organic Grilling Chicken Seasoning)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 block of Pumfu (I make homemade pumpkin seed tofu alternative)
- 6 oz. sesame sauce (I make my homemade Chinese sesame sauce)
Instructions
- Prep a pan by adding oil, turning the heat to medium-high, and letting it heat up while you proceed to the next step.
- As the oil heats in the pan, combine the cornstarch or arrowroot powder, grilling chicken seasoning, Italian seasoning, pink salt, and black pepper in a Ziploc bag.
- Next, prepare the Pumfu by tearing it up into bite-sized pieces (this method is my favorite for texture purposes and catching sauce). Then add the Pumfu to the Ziploc bag and shake it up until all pieces are coated evenly. I like to gently squeeze the Pumfu pieces so that the coating sticks (this also helps form the Pumfu and improve texture).
- When the oil has heated, carefully place the Pumfu in the oil and fry for about five minutes on each side or until you've reached you're desired color and texture (I prefer golden brown and crispy). If you're using arrowroot powder, it's normal for the Pumfu pieces to stick together. Once they're cooked enough, they stop sticking. Just separate them as they cook, and be sure to cook all sides.
- After frying, marinate the Pumfu in the sesame sauce for at least 30 minutes.
- After marinating, cook it again over medium heat just long enough to warm the food and thicken the sauce. I like to serve this with a side of brown (or cauliflower) rice and steamed broccoli.
Notes
- If you wish to omit the oil, you can make the pumfu using an air fryer or oven. I haven’t tried this method, but I’d recommend cooking at 400ºF for 10 minutes and then 5-minute increments until the desired golden color is achieved.
