Recipes › Celery › Sichuan-Spiced Celery and Tofu with Black Bean Sauce
Sichuan-Spiced Celery and Tofu with Black Bean Sauce
Celery is a genuine workhorse in Chinese cooking and this dish proves it — stir-fried at high heat so it stays crisp and fragrant, then tossed with crispy golden tofu and a glossy black bean sauce spiked with Sichuan pepper. The numbing heat of the pepper and the deep umami of the black beans are exactly what celery can hold its own against. Serve with steamed jasmine rice for a genuinely fast weeknight meal.
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Ingredients
- 650 g celery, cut into 4cm batons, leaves reserved
- 400 g firm tofu, pressed and cut into 2cm cubesor use 400g diced chicken breast if not cooking vegan
- 2 tbsp fermented black bean pasteor use shop-bought black bean sauce, though it will be sweeter
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, lightly toasted and coarsely ground
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 4 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths, whites and greens separated
- 2 tbsp light soy sauceuse tamari for gluten-free
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 80 ml water
- 1 tsp caster sugar
Contains: celery, cereals gluten, sesame, soya, sulphites.
Method
- Press the tofu dry: wrap in several layers of kitchen paper, place on a plate, set another plate on top and press firmly for at least 5 minutes. Unwrap and cut into 2cm cubes. The drier the tofu, the better it will crisp.About 5 min
- Heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a wok or large non-stick frying pan over the highest heat your hob will give you. Once the oil is shimmering and just beginning to smoke, add the tofu cubes in a single layer. Do not move them for 2 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 2 minutes until golden and crisp on most sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.About 5 min
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the white parts of the spring onions, the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chilli flakes and ground Sichuan pepper and stir for a further 15 seconds.About 1 min
- Add the celery batons and stir-fry over high heat for 3 minutes, keeping everything moving. You want the celery to char very slightly at the edges but stay genuinely crunchy in the middle.About 3 min
- Add the black bean paste and stir to coat the celery, then pour in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and water. Stir well and bring to a rapid bubble. Stir the cornflour slurry once more and pour it into the wok, stirring constantly for 1 minute until the sauce is glossy and clings to everything.About 2 min
- Return the crispy tofu to the wok and toss everything together for 30 seconds to heat the tofu through and coat it in the sauce. Remove from the heat and drizzle over the sesame oil.About 1 min
- Transfer to a serving dish and scatter over the spring onion greens and any reserved celery leaves. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.
Tips
- A screaming-hot wok is non-negotiable here. If your pan is not hot enough, the tofu will steam and stick rather than crisping up. Let the oil heat until you see the first wisps of smoke before anything goes in.
- Fermented black bean paste (not the same as tinned black beans) is worth keeping in the fridge — a jar lasts months and is the key to an authentic flavour that ready-made sauces can't replicate. Find it in any Asian supermarket or online.
- Don't overcook the celery. Three minutes at high heat is all it needs — it should have a definite bite. Soggy celery in a stir-fry is a disappointment.
Ring the changes
- Replace the tofu with 300g of raw king prawns — cook them in the initial frying step for 2 minutes until pink, then remove and return at the same point as the tofu. Note: this adds crustacean allergen.
- Add 1 teaspoon of chilli bean paste (doubanjiang) along with the black bean paste for a deeper, hotter kick — this is a very Sichuan move and works brilliantly.
Keeping it
Best eaten immediately while the celery is still crunchy and the tofu is crisp. If you do have leftovers, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 2 days and reheat in a hot wok or frying pan with a splash of water. The texture will soften but the flavour remains excellent.
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