June 6, 2023

Deep-Fried Tofu Dumplings with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

This recipe turns a bag of frozen dumplings into a cocktail party treat.

By Christine Burns Rudalevige

Feature Image by Derek Bissonnette | Styling by Catrine Kelty

Print Recipe

Makes

dumplings

Ingredients

½ cup sugar
⅓ cup white vinegar
¼ cup water
1 –2 tablespoons sambal oelek chile paste
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 carrot very finely grated
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
24 boiled tofu dumplings
Vegetable oil

Instructions

To make the dipping sauce, combine sugar, vinegar, water, 1 tablespoon sambal oelek, garlic, carrots and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. While this is boiling, whisk or stir together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. Pour cornstarch slurry into sauce. Boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, 1–2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat. Fish out the garlic cloves and discard them. Taste the sauce and add more chile paste if desired. The sauce is best at room temperature.
To deep-fry the dumplings, fill a deep fryer or a high-sided pot with vegetable oil. Heat oil to 360°. Carefully drop boiled dumplings into the hot oil and fry until golden, 3–4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Serve warm with chile dipping sauce.

About the author

Christine Burns Rudalevige

Christine is a former Editor-in-Chief of edible MAINE. She has lived in many places, including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, England and France. But her professional world has consistently been grounded in just two: in journalism and in the kitchen. Throughout her 30-year writing career, she’s covered sports, politics, business and technology. But for the past 10 years after completing culinary school, she’s focused on food. Her words and recipes about eating locally and sustainably have appeared in publications from The Portland Press Herald to Fine Cooking. Her award-winning cookbook Green Plate Special was published in 2017. When she’s not laboring over a cutting board or a keyboard, she’s learning from her two semi-adult children, a community of food-minded friends, hundreds of productive Maine farmers, thousands of innovative chefs near and far, and her 30,000 honeybees.