So my friend Lane had been asking me for a while to make a vegan version on Bang Bang shrimp. It has probably been 10 or more years since I have eaten any and had no idea what the sauce was made of.
So imagine my surprise when I googled it and realized it was actually only 3 little ingredients that I always have in my pantry.
I have been playing around with a vegan shrimp recipe after having the best vegan fried shrimp from a local food truck recently, but still haven’t totally figured it out. But then it dawned on me!! I should just use our popcorn tofu recipe!
The trick to making something like crispy bang bang “shrimp” is keeping the “shrimp” really ,really crispy so it doest go super soggy super quickly once it is coated in sauce.
Well our popcorn tofu is REALLY CRISPY and actually made the perfect “shrimp” for this recipe! This recipe is perfect on its own as kind of a snack or appetizer, but would also be delicious served with a side of rice and quick and easy pickled veggies ( I will eat a pickled veggie on the side of almost any meal!)
This Bang Bang tofu is crispy, sweet, creamy, and spicy. It’s perfect really, and we can all thank Lane for the idea! I promise I would have never thought to make this if she would not have asked! So thanks Lane, keep the request coming and I’ll keep knocking on your door with plates of food :)
Ingredients:
1 block extra firm tofu
3/4 cups corn or tapioca starch
2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup vegan plain yogurt (I use Kite Hill)
1/2 cup non dairy milk
1 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons each, smoked paprika, and all purpose seasoning (we use a greek seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon each chili powder, black pepper, salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
oil for frying
garnish: 2 green onions, finely chopped (the green ends only)
Bang Bang Sauce:
3/4 cup vegan mayo
2-3 teaspoons sriracha
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Instructions:
Remove tofu from package and drain. Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel or some paper towels and place a few books, or a heavy pan on top. Let the tofu sit for 15 minutes to press out any extra water.
Cut the tofu block in half, then cut halves into 1/2 inch strips. Using your hands, break off pieces of the strips to form little tofu nuggets.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, minced garlic, and milk.
In another, bowl whisk 1/2 cups of the starch and all of the seasonings.
In another bowl, add the bread crumbs.
First toss the tofu into the starch and seasoning mixture
Next add the tofu to the milk and yogurt and stir. All of the liquid should be absorbed by the tofu, although it will be a sticky mess. Now sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of starch over the tofu and toss.
Using your hands (I promise, it’s just easier) pick up a small handful of tofu and toss it around in the breadcrumbs until fully coated. You can use your hands to separate any tofu that got clumped together, sifting it though your fingers. Place coated tofu into a dish, and repeat until all of the tofu is coated.
Heat a few inches of oil in a high sided skillet. I use my cast iron for this. While the oil is heating, place a wire cooling rack on top of a paper towel lined baking sheet. This is where you will place the finished tofu to cool.
Once the oil is nice and hot, carefully add the tofu in small batches to the pan (you can poke a chopstick into the oil, and if tiny bubbles form around the stick, the oil is ready). Using a slotted spoon, keep the tofu moving around for a few minutes to make sure all of the sides get Nice and CRISPY. Once tofu is browned and crispy, remove and place on a wire cooling rack. Repeat with remaining tofu.
Mix all the ingredients together for the bang bang sauce. In large bowl toss finished tofu with all of the sauce. Sprinkle with finely chopped green onions and serve immediately.
If you like this recipe, try these:
Vegan Po-Boy with Popcorn Tofu
