Drain tofu and wrap in a thin dish towel. Weight down with a heavy cookbook or skillet. Press for 10-15 min, changing the towel halfway through. Meanwhile, stir together the Sauce ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup, and prep your veggies and aromatics.

Cut the tofu. Slice the tofu into four equal squares. Flip each square on its side and then slice into squares, ⅓” wide (~1 cm). Transfer to a large bowl or shallow baking pan.

Coat the tofu. In a small bowl, combine the salt, white pepper, garlic powder, five spice powder (if using) and cornstarch. Sprinkle half over the tofu, flip the tofu over, and sprinkle with the rest, tossing gently to coat with your hands.

Fry the tofu. Line a cutting board or large plate with paper towels. Open some windows, as it will get smoky if you’re using a wok. Heat a flat-bottomed wok over medium-high heat until you start to see light wisps of smoke. Only then add 3 TBSP of the oil. Carefully add tofu. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan every minute for even cooking, until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and toss the tofu and repeat for 2 to 4 min, until golden brown but not charred on the bottom. Transfer tofu to the paper towel-lined surface to absorb excess oil. Wipe out the pan.

Finish the stir fry. Return the wok to the stove. Heat over high until smoking, then add the remaining 1 TBSP oil. Add garlic and ginger, and stir fry for 20 to 30 seconds. Add prepped veggies, and stir fry for 1 to 1.5 minutes. Add the Sauce and stir fry for 2 ½ minutes, then add any tender vegetables and stir fry for 30 seconds until wilted.

Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until well-dissolved. Add to the pan and stir until thickened and glossy. Off the heat, add the tofu, cilantro, sesame seeds and sesame oil. Toss well to coat the tofu. Serve over rice.