Step 1 - Prep the Cornstarch Slurry First
In a small bowl or cup, dissolve 1½ tablespoons of cornstarch in a few tablespoons of the chilled orange juice. Stir until completely smooth with no lumps. Set this aside you'll add it to the sauce later to thicken it. Getting this ready first means you won't scramble for it when the sauce needs thickening in a hurry.
Step 2 - Build and Simmer the Orange Sauce (10 Minutes)
Pour the remaining orange juice into your small saucepan. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, freshly grated ginger, minced garlic, and orange zest. Stir everything together and place the pan over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer, lower the heat, and let it cook gently for about 10 minutes. The sauce will reduce slightly and the flavors will concentrate and meld together beautifully. Your kitchen smells incredible at this point that's expected.
Step 3 - Crisp the Tofu (10 Minutes)
While the sauce simmers, coat the bottom of your large skillet generously with peanut oil and heat it over medium heat. Give the oil a full minute to heat up properly before adding any tofu cold oil produces soggy, oily results instead of crispy ones.
Place some cornstarch in a small bowl. Add a few tofu cubes at a time and roll them around to coat evenly. Place the coated cubes in the hot oil, making sure they don't touch each other in the pan crowding the pan traps steam and prevents crisping. Work in batches.
Cook each batch for about 5 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Transfer cooked tofu to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat until all the tofu is done. This takes patience but produces the texture that makes this dish work.
Step 4 -Thicken the Sauce and Combine
Once the sauce has simmered for 10 minutes, stir in the cornstarch and orange juice slurry. Bring the sauce back to a simmer and let it cook for about 1 minute more until it thickens into a glossy, coating-consistency sauce. Remove from heat and season with salt to taste.
Return all the crispy tofu to the skillet and pour the thickened orange sauce over it. Add the steamed broccoli and toss everything together until evenly coated in that gorgeous orange glaze.
Step 5 - Garnish and Serve
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Serve immediately over cooked jasmine rice. The contrast between the crispy glazed tofu, the tender broccoli, and the fluffy fragrant jasmine rice is exactly as good as it sounds.
