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Spicy Fried Tofu with Basil

A stir‑fried tofu dish with garlic, chilies, basil, green beans, and soy sauce.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 8 ingredients
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Why it works: Garlic and basil are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,805 recipes. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. The science ↓

Spicy Fried Tofu with Basil

Ingredients

Directions

Stir-fry

  1. Heat oil in wok or large, deep skillet over high heat.

  2. Toss in garlic and chiles, and stir‑fry 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Add tofu, and stir‑fry until tofu is heated through, about 2 minutes.

  4. Add soy sauce and sugar, and mix well.

  5. Add beans, and cook just until bright green, 1 to 2 minutes.

  6. Add basil, and mix thoroughly.

Serve

  1. Transfer to warm platter and serve hot.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

295Calories
11 gProtein
18 gFat
25 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Tofu100g firm76
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Green Beans1 cup (100g)31
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Garlic + basiltop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,805 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  2. Pepper + basiltop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,294 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).

  3. Clove + basiltop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,437 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  4. Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together17,451 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  5. Garlic + peppertop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together27,090 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Extra-firm tofu
Provides the main body of the dish, holding its cubed shape while stir-frying.
Garlic
Adds pungent aroma that deepens as it cooks briefly in hot oil.
Chile peppers
Supply heat and aroma, with the seeds removed to temper the spice.
Tamari or soy sauce
Adds salty, savory depth that seasons the tofu as it heats.
Green beans
Add crisp texture and fresh color, cooked briefly so they stay bright green.
Basil
Adds fresh, aromatic flavor when stirred in at the end.

The step that matters

Stir-frying the tofu over high heat. Cubes that are not dried well or that sit too long in the pan can steam and stay soft. A very hot pan and room to move help the surfaces brown and firm up, giving better texture.

Swap the green beans

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (clove, garlic, pepper, tofu, sauce, sugar, basil):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Eggplantfits better
  3. Spinachfits better
  4. Green beansthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against clove, garlic, pepper, tofu, sauce, sugar, basil. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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