Max’s is a famous Filipino restaurant chain and a lot of people including myself are a huge fan of their signature dishes that mostly caters to the Filipino palate. They serve a variety of Filipino recipe, their most well known and best-selling dish is their signature fried chicken.
I almost always order their fried chicken until I decided to venture out and try some other Filipino dishes in their expansive menu (almost every one of their dishes follows top-notch quality Filipino recipes). And that’s when I discovered their deliciously prepared sizzling tofu dish which was highly recommended by my friends.
Max’s sizzling tofu is practically the most perfect sizzling tofu I tried and it seems like its a close second public favorite right next to their best selling fried chicken. Their sizzling tofu is full of texture, creamy but not cloyingly so with just the right mix of ingredients that combine them in the best way possible. The tofu is masterfully prepared with the bell peppers, onion, and garlic cooked to a crunch keeps the mayonnaise that coats the dish from being overwhelming.
There’s also a hint of oyster sauce and dried parsley flakes for some added zest to the dish. Plus, some hot chili gives it that extra satisfying kick in its flavor. All in all the perfect healthy dish to serve to your everyday Filipino family.
It’s easily become the favorite dish on Max’s menu for everyone who tried it, along with their fried chicken, of course.
So naturally, I wanted to recreate this sleeper hit in my home myself. It’ll be a great dish to serve to your family and while it’s a relatively simple dish to prepare and cook, people who took a bite out of it will be heavily impressed.
I searched for some of Max’s style sizzling tofu recipes online, tried and recreate a few of them and the closest recipe to Max’s original sizzling tofu I found, taste-wise, is from a site called kusina101 which will be linked down below. Of course, I’ve tried and modified a few things in the recipe which I think would get it exactly to where Max’s sizzling tofu is taste-wise.
First, off to the market I go. I got myself 500-grams of Chinese tofu, chillis, garlic, white onion, bell pepper, mayonnaise, dried parsley flakes, and oyster sauce. I’m also gonna be using some sugar and grounded black pepper. Apart from the Chinese tofu, Max’s style sizzling tofu only needs simple ingredients that you can find in the pantry so I find this recipe relatively cheap to make as well which is always a bonus.
Now for the cooking!
I first heat some oil in a deep pan and while I’m waiting for the oil to heat, I cut up the tofu into symmetrical square pieces. Once the oil is hot enough, I put the tofu into the deep pan and fry it until it turned into a golden brown color. Turn the heat off, get the tofu out of the pan and drain the excess oil into paper towels.
Next, in a bowl, I combined ½ cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, ½ teaspoon of the dried parsley, and ½ teaspoon of grounded black pepper. I mixed these ingredients well then added some water until I’ve achieved just the right amount of thickness I wanted in the mixture, exactly like what we can find in Max’s sizzling tofu dish.
I heat the mayo mixture in a clean pan for two minutes in low heat, added 1 finely chopped bell pepper and continue to stir it with the mayo mixture for another one minute.
For the final and most exciting part of this process, on a sizzling plate, I added a little amount of vegetable oil and sauteed three minced cloves of garlic and 1 chopped white onion. Then I added the cooked tofu and mayo dressing on the plate and mixed them well. Finally, I sprinkled the dish with 2 sliced finger chillis and more onion.
Serve with fluffy white rice and I’ve achieved homemade Max’s style sizzling tofu.
Max's-Style Sizzling Tofu Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 g firm tofu drained
- 1 tbsp red bell pepper chopped
- 1 tbsp green bell pepper chopped
- 1 pc small onion chopped
- 1/4 tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp liquid seasoning Knorr
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp water
- cooking oil
Instructions
In a small mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, liquid seasoning, onion powder, and water. Mix well until smooth. Set aside this sauce.
Heat cooking oil in a deep pan or pot. Add the tofu. Deep-fry until golden brown. Remove from heat. Use a strainer to drain oil. Set aside.
Heat about 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a pan. Add the onion. Sauté until fragrant.
Add the green and red bell peppers, and the fried tofu. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
Add half amount of the prepared sauce. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
Heat a sizzling plate on the stovetop. Melt butter onto it.
Transfer the cooked tofu on the sizzling plate. Add the remaining sauce.
Serve while hot and enjoy your sizzling tofu ala Max’s!
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FAQs
Many cooking experts champion a quick soak as a way to give the protein more texture and flavor. “Simmering cubed tofu in salted water for 60 seconds pulls out excess moisture and tightens the proteins on its surface,” Lukas Volger told Bon Appétit in 2021.
Is sizzling tofu good for diet? ›
Sizzling tofu is considered as a vegetarian dish. Aside from being delicious and simple to prepare, it is also a complete source of protein. There is approximately 10 grams of protein in every 1/2 cup serving of tofu.
What is the secret to cooking tofu? ›
Press it. Tofu contains a lot of water, and you'll want to squeeze most of it out, especially if you're baking, grilling, or frying it. I recommend using a tofu press to do this, because it gives the tofu a delicious chewy texture and makes cleanup a breeze. But having one isn't necessary.
What is sizzling tofu made of? ›
Filipino Sizzling Tofu Ingredients:
Firm tofu - main ingredient of the dish! Onions and garlic - for aromatics. Red and green bell peppers - adds texture and color to the dish. Thai Chili peppers (siling labuyo) and finger chili peppers (siling haba) - to add some heat.
How long to boil tofu before frying? ›
If you're boiling the tofu on the hob, 5-10 minutes will suffice. The longer you simmer, the more seasoned your tofu will be. If you're pouring boiling water over tofu, without an additional heat source, leave it for 15-20 minutes.
What happens if you don't drain tofu before cooking? ›
Here's the thing: even though tofu might be labeled firm or extra-firm, it contains a lot of water. This excess water can cause the tofu to crumble when you cook it, and it will also have a hard time crisping up. But when you press tofu, you remove the excess moisture.
Will I lose weight if I eat tofu everyday? ›
Tofu is a cholesterol-free, low-calorie, high-protein food that's also rich in bone-boosting calcium and manganese. Tofu may help you to lose weight by keeping you fuller for longer on fewer calories than meat. It may reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when swapped for saturated fat-heavy animal proteins.
How many times a week should you eat tofu? ›
"For the vast majority of people, it should be reasonable to incorporate tofu in their daily diet without any issues," Sun said. He and his family eat "probably three servings per week," Sun said. He likes using soft tofu in soups and firm tofu – frozen and cut up – in a traditional Chinese hot pot.
What does tofu do to your body? ›
Soybeans and soy products like tofu are rich in isoflavones. These flavonoids (plant-based chemicals) help lower your blood pressure and offer other heart-protective benefits. A 2020 study found that people who ate a serving of tofu each week had an 18% lower risk of heart disease than those who didn't.
What not to mix with tofu? ›
What to not serve with tofu? According to studies, a high volume consumption of tofu and spinach together can increase your risk of kidney stones. Tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively and the combined can form kidney stones.
Press tofu and cube it. Coat it in garlic, black pepper, salt (plus more of your favourite seasonings), liquid aminos and some olive oil. Then mix it into some cornstarch and toss it all together, then bake for about 20 minutes. Cornstarch also helps to draw out excess moisture so it really gets the tofu crispy.
What is the healthiest way to eat tofu? ›
Healthier - For starters, broiling tofu is a healthier method of cooking than frying, and it requires less oil to create crispier cubes. Easy - It's also really easy to make.
What are the three types of tofu? ›
Tofu is categorized as silken, regular, firm, extra-firm and super-firm. Silken, the softest type of tofu, can be compared to a young white cheese.
Is it OK to eat silken tofu? ›
For Eating Raw: Pretty straightforward. Soft and silken tofu are ready to go right out of the package (though, technically, any tofu can be eaten raw). Drain off the excess water, and eat up!
How to remove sour taste from tofu quickly? ›
Blanch tofu for a fresher flavor
Some brands of tofu have a slightly sour taste that remains even after cooking. Blanching tofu in hot salted water brings out a fresher flavor while coaxing the tofu's inner moisture to the surface, making it easier to dry.
Do we need to boil tofu? ›
Technically, tofu does not need to be cooked. It is ready to eat straight out of the package. The most common tofu to eat raw is silken tofu. It's often used in vegan desserts to achieve a creamy texture.
Should you boil tofu before eating? ›
Tofu can be eaten raw, and so cooking it is completely optional and is mostly done for texture or to bind the sauce to the tofu. You can pan-sear the sides and add it to a colorful stir-fry or deep-fry it and coat it in a savory and sweet sauce.
Why is my fried tofu not crispy? ›
The problem with deep frying tofu, besides the considerable mess, is that the tofu will soak up a lot of the oil, making the inside a greasy, spongy mess. Try one of these methods instead: Pan frying with just a little bit of oil, or stir-frying at a high temperature will give you crispy tofu with less fuss.
Does boiling tofu soften it? ›
Boiling tofu causes the bean curd to exude moisture, so you are correct there is a structural difference between boiled and unboiled tofu. The heat tightens up the protein structure, hence affecting consistency.
