Crispy Sizzling Tofu Sisig is a delicious and creative way of cooking tofu. Try this easy recipe!
Do you ever think about restaurant food and you just have this urge to make it a little bit more fitting to your taste, or maybe you just want the idea of having that kind of food at the comfort of your own home?
This dish is the perfect one to try out at home as it boasts a lot of flavor that could impress your family, and is on the healthier side, too!
Try out this Max’s restaurant-inspired recipe right now! Be sure to read along to learn some tips along the way.
What is Tofu Sisig?
Tofu sisig is a unique dish popularized by the famous restaurant—Max’s—here in the Philippines. It is made out of tofu cut into cubes that are stir fried or deep fried, in combination with chili peppers, bell peppers, and onions and garlic.
Compared to other sisig dishes like pork sisig or chicken sisig, this is a better alternative for those with health issues, and is still irresistibly delicious at the same time.
For those of you who don’t know, the traditional sisig is made out of pork, particularly the pig’s ears, and pig’s head. This is a dish which originated from Pampanga and is similarly partnered with onions, garlic, chili peppers, and is seasoned with calamansi and soy sauce.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Tofu
In this dish, our main ingredient will be tofu or tokwa. We recommend that you use store-bought fresh firm tofu for this. However, if you still prefer soft tofu, you have to be extra careful when handling it.
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like onion, garlic, bell peppers, chili, mayonnaise, oyster sauce, butter, salt, black pepper, and cooking oil. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pan (Kawali)- You will be using two cooking pans for this. You will use a kawali or a deep cooking pan to deep fry the tofu. You will also need another pan to mix and cooking all the ingredients.
- Sizzling Plate- For authenticity, you can optionally use a sizzling plate or a hot plate to serve sisig.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Cook Tofu Sisig
Having the tofu sisig is a unique experience but it is not at all any different to other dishes usually cooked. So if you’re a beginner or you’ve been cooking for a while now, it will be a straightforward process and you will not have a hard time here.
The key to making a good tofu sisig is to make sure that we cook the tofu the best way possible—of course. This means that we need to manage it properly from the moment we buy it, unpack it, and cook it. So if you’ve bought the tofu from the market, it usually comes with liquid.
So before doing the whole cooking thing, you must make sure that the tofu is completely dry first. You can dry it by letting it sit in a bowl for about 30 minutes.
Deep frying the tofu can be quite tricky since you need to properly gauge the heat of the oil when cooking. The oil must be hot enough before you toss in the tofu. If it is not hot enough the tofu might tend to stick and will absorb too much grease.
If it gets too hot on the other hand, the outside of the tofu will get burnt long before the insides get cooked. The general tip is make it hot enough just before it starts to smoke.
While it requires more attentiveness when it comes to stir frying, this is the easier option in my opinion. Just make sure to coat the whole pan with oil and let it heat for a while. Toss in the tofu and allow it to be lightly browned, making sure that the texture is firm, before turning.
How to Serve Tofu Sisig
Sisig, or in this case tofu sisig, is usually served as a main dish for snack or dinner, but it is also a common beer match or pulutan when drinking.
The most common way to serve this is to heat a sizzling plate over a stovetop or an oven. Once hot, plate the sisig and add more garnish. Serve this with freshly cooked white rice, a side dish of choice like atsara, and a cool drink.
How to Store and Reheat Tofu Sisig
In case you have leftovers, transfer to a clean food container with lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.
To reheat (thaw first if frozen), you can either use a microwave oven or on a pan in the stove.
Other Copycat Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Crispy Sizzling Tofu Sisig Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pan
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lbs) or 2 packs firm tofu, cut into small cubes
- 1 pc onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pc small-sized red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 pc small-sized green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 pcs chili peppers, you can use red or green
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 4 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- In a wide cooking pan, pour in and heat oil over medium heat.
- Add in the tofu. Cook until golden and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Allow to absorb excess oil and set aside.
- In a cooking pan, add in the butter. Add in the garlic and onions. Saute until softened.
- Add in the bell peppers and chili peppers. Cook, while stirring regularly, until tender and crispy.
- Add in the oyster sauce, water, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the liquids are slightly reduced.
- Add back in the tofu and then add in the mayonnaise. Make sure that the tofu is evenly coated and heated through.
- Transfer to a serving plate or a sizzling plate. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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