To date, I’m still exploring more ways to convert tofu into foods that don’t taste too rubbery. The New York Times offered this recipe, whimsically called “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Chicken.” And while I can believe it’s not chicken when I eat it, the texture of grated tofu at least presents a way to avoid the rubberiness prevalent in most larger chunks of tofu, including the toasted tofu recipe I tried recently.

As a stir-fry dish, this is a little spicy with a slightly tangy flavor due to the use of Chinese black vinegar. The NYT version isn’t very saucy like a lot of American Chinese stir fry; I tried mixing in some corn starch and water to make it saucier, but that seemed to make the tofu wet again — so it’s probably best to leave it out and try to make it a drier stir-fry mix.

1 10-12-ounce package super-firm tofu
1½ tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
4 green onions, sliced at an angle (reserve dark green tops for garnish)
1-2 chili peppers, thinly sliced (I used 1 poblano, but you can go hotter)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (or other hot sauce)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Optional: 1 handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Press the tofu between two cutting boards with a heavy saucepan on top for 30-60 minutes. You can use a clean dish towel to remove excess moisture if necessary.

Use the large holes of a grater to grate the tofu. If small pieces break off, crumble them in your fingers. If the grated tofu still feels wet, you can press it between two paper towels while you move on to the next step.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. After a minute or two, add the white parts of the green onions, chili peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is slightly golden and the scallions are softened (about 2 minutes).

Add the grated tofu to the pan and toss to coat it in the oil. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir. Cook, stirring every 2 minutes, until the tofu is golden brown in some spots, a total of 10-14 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, honey/sugar, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil until well combined.

Pour the sauce into the pan and stir to evenly coat the tofu. Cook for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, green onion tops, and cilantro. Serve over rice.