One of my very favorite places to dine out in Kansas City is Blue Koi. Described as a noodle and dumpling shop, they offer flavorful food, an extensive gluten-free selection and an inviting atmosphere at both locations.
Every time I drive by, I think about dropping in just to get their Crispy Tofu and Awesome Sauce. On more than a few occasions, I’ve made that my entire meal. Perfectly crispy nuggets of tofu dipped into Awesome Sauce makes my day.
So about that Awesome Sauce…I really have no idea what exactly Blue Koi puts in theirs. I’ve tried many times to make it at home. The version I’m sharing here is the closest I’ve come to making something that closely resembles the real thing, therefore I’m calling it Awesome-ish. If I hadn’t tasted the real thing, I would probably think this sauce is Awesome. 😉
Fried Tofu and Awesome-ish Sauce
Ingredients
For Tofu:
- 1-15 or 16 oz. block of extra firm tofu , well drained
- 1/3 cup rice flour (I prefer brown rice, white works also)
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- Oil for frying
For Awesome-ish Sauce:
- 1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon Thai Kitchen Sweet Chile Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Tamari or gluten-free soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro , finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon green onions , finely sliced
Instructions
For the Tofu:
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Drain tofu well, gently press out any remaining moisture with paper towels wrapped around brick.
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Slice tofu into 3/4" squares.
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine rice flour and cornstarch. Add tofu cubes and toss well, coating the tofu.
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In a pan suitable for frying, add 3" of oil. Heat to 350 degrees.
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Once oil is hot, add half of the tofu cubes. Stir a couple of times to make sure the cubes are not stuck together. Fry for approximately 2 minutes, until the cubes take on a very light brown color.
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Remove from oil and drain on a paper-towel lined baking sheet.
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Repeat with second half of tofu cubes.
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Serve hot with a side of Awesome-ish Sauce.
For the Awesome-ish Sauce
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Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir well. Sauce is best after flavors have combined for an hour or so.
Yum, yum, yum!! Adding to grocery list!
Can’t wait to hear what you think, fellow fan of Awesome Sauce!
I was going to go to the Blue Koi today (Sunday) and get carry out for my wife and I. She was craving the fried tofu and their amazing awesome sauce. I got ready to leave and pulled their website up to get their phone number and saw they were closed on Sunday. So we decided to make it ourselves. We found this website and followed the recipe and it was perfect! The awesome sauce tasted like the real thing! We used peanut oil to fry the tofu and seasoned the oil with a little seasoned salt and pepper before placing the tofu in and it turned out delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks for your comment, John. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. While I would eat at Blue Koi every single day if I could, it’s sure nice to have this version. I’ll have to try peanut oil next time!
I’m bookmarking this recipie. I crave blue Joe’s fried tofu and awesome sauce. I’m Actually surprised not to see garlic in the ingredient list… But am excited to try it! Thanks for posting this!
Blue koi
Thanks, Abby! I hope you’ll give it a try. There is garlic in the sweet chile sauce I use in this recipe, so no additional garlic was added. 🙂
Ha! I just tried making awesome sauce tonight on a lark. I used light soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and chopped green onions. I used too much soy sauce, about half and half. But it was my first try. Now I know: 5 parts sweet chili to 1 part soy!
Thing is, I can’t go back to Blue Koi easily to do a taste comparison. We left the KC area 4 years ago. I’ve been back twice and Blue Koi (and tofu with awesome sauce, pot roast, and wonton soup) — always on the eating list along with BBQ at Oklahoma Joe’s (why did they change their name?) and Jack Stack.
So thank you for this one. I looked up “awesome sauce for fried tofu” and somehow knew yours was the real deal!
Well, thank you! Even living in KC, I can never make it to Blue Koi as often as the urge strikes to have this. I’m glad my recipe worked for you!
Check them out on D, D & D. http://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/mo/kansas-city/blue-koi/blue-koi-videos.html
They make Awesome Sauce. Looks like you’re missing: seaseme oil, white vinegar, sugar, white pepper and garlic.
Thanks for your comment.
I have seen that episode, which came out after this recipe was published. In fact, I was at that location of Blue Koi earlier this week to pick up carryout. So glad they have re-opened after the fire.
My recipe is a very close semblance (as you’ll notice from the rave reviews here) but is not an exact replica of theirs. I would never strive for that (because their sauce is truly AWESOME) and would never publish someone else’s recipe. You’re welcome to give mine or theirs a go. Both are wonderful!
Thanks for posting this! I just had this today and it’s amazing. I mixed this and the vegetarian lettuce wraps and they’re fantastic together as a meal.
I agree! That’s one of my favorite meal combinations at Blue Koi!
We love Blue Koi and this is one of my go to dishes. Even my picky 10 year old loved it. Thanks for this!
You’re most welcome. Enjoy!!
I split my time between St. Louis and Kansas City; tonight I’m in St. Louis and craving Blue Koi’s fried tofu with awesome sauce. I decided to google it and ‘pow!’ Thanks to you I can make it now. My mouth is watering.
Yay! Glad I could help.
Loved your recipe. We’re huge fans of Blue Koi and this recipe helped a few times during #COVID2019 2020.
Thank you!
Fantastic! Love hearing that.