The cold plate that wakes up a summer table is this one – chilled Sichuan tofu, and this home cook’s version is the blanch-then-bloom bowl. A home cook wrote it in nine steps with the technique in the title: oil smoking, off the heat, peppercorns in, then poured over the garlic. I made it as written, and it is the cool, tingly, savory plate that goes with everything.

Liang ban dou fu (凉拌豆腐) is chilled Sichuan tofu – blanched tofu dressed with a smoking Sichuan-peppercorn oil poured over garlic, chili, and scallion.

What Is Chilled Sichuan Tofu?

This is the cold dish built on one hot moment: soft tofu is cut small and blanched briefly in salted water, then the dressing is made – chili powder, minced garlic, bird’s-eye chili, and scallion in a dish, with Sichuan peppercorns fried in oil until fragrant and poured over smoking. Soy and sesame oil finish it, and the whole thing goes over the drained tofu. It is cool, tingly, savory, and ready in minutes.

For the sibling of the same pantry, my chilled sichuan tofu is the related classic.

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10-Minute Silken Tofu with Sichuan Pepper Oil

This 10-minute Silken Tofu with Sichuan Pepper Oil features creamy tofu drenched in a numbing, savory hot oil sauce. A fast, authentic appetizer bursting with flavor.

Check out this recipe

Why This Recipe Works

• The brief blanch. Warmed and seasoned, never cooked soft.
• The smoking-oil pour. The bloom that wakes the garlic and chili.
• The Sichuan peppercorns. Fried out and poured – the tingle.
• Small cubes. Each piece takes the dressing.
• Cold and quick. The summer plate.

Equipment Needed

• A pot for blanching
• A small dish for the dressing

Ingredients

[{‘name’: ‘For the Dish’, ‘items’: [[‘1’, ‘block’, ‘soft or firm tofu, cut small’, ”], [”, ‘to taste’, “chili powder, garlic, bird’s-eye chili, scallion”, ”], [”, ‘a handful’, ‘Sichuan peppercorns’, ”], [‘2’, ‘tbsp’, ‘light soy sauce and a little sesame oil’, ”], [”, ‘as needed’, ‘oil’, ”]]}]

Ingredient Notes

Tofu: Small cubes that take the dressing. My 10-minute silken tofu with Sichuan pepper oil is the silken version. The oil: Smoking, poured over – the bloom is everything. Soy and sesame: The savory finish.

Prep & Mise en Place

Cut the tofu small; prep the dressing dish; measure the soy and sesame.

Cooking Process

Step 1 – Cut the soft tofu into 2-3 cm cubes – small so the dres

Cut the soft tofu into 2-3 cm cubes – small so the dressing gets in.

Step 2 – Put the chili powder in a dish, top with minced garlic,

Put the chili powder in a dish, top with minced garlic, chili, scallion, and peppercorn powder.

Step 3 – Heat oil in the pan; when it smokes, turn off and drop

Heat oil in the pan; when it smokes, turn off and drop in the peppercorns.

Step 4 – When the peppercorns bloom, scoop them out and pour the

When the peppercorns bloom, scoop them out and pour the smoking oil over the garlic-chili dish.

Step 5 – Stir the dressing, add the light soy and sesame oil

Stir the dressing, add the light soy and sesame oil.

Step 6 – Blanch the tofu in salted water 2 minutes – gently, so

Blanch the tofu in salted water 2 minutes – gently, so it doesn’t break – then drain.

Step 7 – Pour the dressing over the tofu and scatter scallion

Pour the dressing over the tofu and scatter scallion.

Step 8 – Color, aroma, and flavor complete

Color, aroma, and flavor complete.

Step 9 – Believe me – you could eat three bowls of rice with thi

Believe me – you could eat three bowls of rice with this plate.

Common Mistakes When Making This Dish

1. Broken tofu. Cause: boiling too hard. Fix: gentle simmer. 2. Raw garlic bite. Cause: oil not hot enough. Fix: pour it smoking. 3. A dull, un-tingly plate. Cause: no peppercorns. Fix: the fried Sichuan pepper oil. 4. Large, bland cubes. Cause: cutting too big. Fix: small pieces. 5. A watery plate. Cause: undrained tofu. Fix: drain well.

Variations

More chili: Extra for heat. My 10-minute silken tofu with Sichuan pepper oil is the silken twin. Herbs: Cilantro with the scallion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why blanch the tofu? It warms and seasons the cubes without cooking them soft. Soft or firm tofu? Either – the recipe uses what it has. How hot should the oil be? Smoking – the bloom needs it. How long does it take? About 15 minutes. Is it spicy? As spicy as your chili, with the peppercorn tingle – my silken tofu potage is the mild soup to balance it, and pan-fried tofu with minced pork the savory hot plate.

How to Serve

Serve cold or cool as a starter – with 10-minute silken tofu with Sichuan pepper oil, home-style tofu, and braised tofu with bok choy for a cold table, or with savory tofu and egg stir-fry and red braised tofu for variety.

Storage & Reheat

Best fresh; refrigerate 1 day. Never leave out more than 2 hours. For another cold tofu plate, my century egg and silken tofu salad is the chilled classic.

Allergen Notice

This recipe contains soy (soy sauce, tofu). It is free of gluten (verify the soy sauce), dairy, egg, nuts, fish, and shellfish.

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

About the Author & Recipe Development

I am Jason Guo, a Chinese chef who has cooked professionally for more than five years – including time as a head chef – and now runs my own small restaurant in China, where tofu appears on the menu almost every day. This xiachufang cook’s chilled Sichuan tofu is the cold plate of my summer table, and the recipe’s smoking-oil bloom is exactly why the dressing wakes up. I tested it as written. I have not tested the cilantro version, so that is your experiment, not my claim.

Authoritative References

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for safe storage of cooked dishes.