Braised Tofu

Tofu is not expensive yet with many nutrients. There are heaps of ways to make a delicious tofu dish. This braised tofu dish is meatless. The taste is still so great even though no meat is added. This dish is balanced in taste and texture. It’s perfect to serve with a bowl of steamed rice.

The braised tofu is a traditional Chinese dish. Every family has its own cooking way. To make this dish, I took a quick route by buying some pre-fried tofu, available at Asian grocers. It’s very convenient and not easily broken apart. If you want to use regular tofu, get the firm one. Please check out the notes below the recipe for more details.

I love adding more vegetables. In my fridge, there’re some baby bokchoy and carrot.
Why not put them in as well?

I strongly recommend adding shiitake mushrooms. They’ll enhance the taste and take the whole dish up a level. When serving, add a dash of sesame oil. The fragrance of this braised tofu is so appetizing, making you want to dig in right away.

Enjoy this tofu dish with a bowl of steamed rice.

Braised Tofu Recipe

(Printable recipe)
By Christine’s Recipes
Course: Braised, Tofu
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Yield: 2 to 3 serves

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces fried tofu (or firm tofu)
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 to 3 shiitake mushrooms, soaked and softened, sliced
• ½ carrot, sliced
• 2 baby bokchoy, optional
• 1 to 2 stalks spring onion

Sauce:

• ½ cup water (or soaking mushroom water)
• 1 Tbsp salt-reduced light soy sauce
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• white pepper, to taste
• sesame oil, to taste

Thickening:

• 1 tsp corn flour (corn starch)
• 1 Tbsp water

Method :

1. Cut fried tofu into pieces. Blanch in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes in order to remove the excessive oil on the surface. Drain up and wipe dry. Set aside.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic. Add shiitake mushroom, carrot. Stir fry until aromatic.
3. Add the fried tofu. Pour in the sauce. Heat up the tofu again and cook until the carrot and mushroom turn soft, with the sauce reduced by half.
4. If using baby bokchoy, you can add it while cooking the sauce. Add the stalks first, then the green leaves. Stir in the thickening and cook to your preferred consistency. Sprinkle spring onion for garnish. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes：

• Fried tofu is available at Asian grocers.
• If not using fried tofu, you can use firm tofu instead. Simply pan-fry the surface tofu. Then you can cook it with other ingredients.
• If using regular light soy sauce, please adjust the amount of it accordingly because the saltiness is different.
• You can save the soaking mushroom water to cook the tofu. It’ll add more flavours.