Why it works: Coriander and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,498 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Deep Fried Tofu with Sichuan Pepper and Salt and Lemon
serves 4Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Gently remove tofu from packet and invert onto a plate.
Carefully slice into six cubes by cutting tofu lengthways in half, then widthways into thirds, draining off any excess liquid.
Lightly coat tofu pieces in flour.
Fry
Heat oil in a hot wok until the surface seems to shimmer slightly.
Carefully lower tofu into the hot oil.
Deep-fry tofu for about four minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper.
Serve
Arrange tofu on a platter, garnish with coriander, sprinkle Sichuan pepper and salt, and serve with lemon halves.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Tofu | 100g firm | 76 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Cilantro | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Coriander | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
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.
-
Coriander + lemontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,498 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Pepper + lemontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Coriander + peppertop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,949 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
-
Tofu + flourtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together350 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Tofu + coriandertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together199 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Silken tofu
- Its soft, high-moisture body becomes a creamy interior when its outer surface crisps in hot oil.
- Plain flour
- A light flour coating dries the surface and helps it brown and crisp during frying.
The step that matters
Draining the tofu before coating and frying. Excess liquid on the surface turns to steam in hot oil, which can splatter and stop the coating from crisping. Patting the cubes dry first helps them brown well.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, flour, coriander, pepper):
- Limefits better
- Avocadofits better
- Lemonthe original
- Coconutfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, flour, coriander, pepper. 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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