How To Cook Extra Firm Tofu Stir Fry- Spicy Fried Tofu Recipe
Yesterday I was making my favorite Chinese dish moogoo gaipan, my husband bought tofu home. Usually he is not a fan of grocery shopping. I know he must have missed the spicy fried tofu I made a few months ago. In China, we call it “Dou Fu”, a key ingredient in daily authentic real Chinese food recipes, such as mo po tofu vegetarian recipe. Tofu has enjoyed a long-lasting reputation as world’s healthiest food. This wonderful food was originated in Japan back to 12th century. For centuries, Miso soup has been the favorite tofu soup for Japanese. Some people say it’s the “food of longevity” because Japanese people tend to live longer, or maybe because fish is part of their everyday diet, I guess.
Tofu is rich in calcium, manganese, copper, selenium, protein, omega-2 and so on. Besides making miso soup, there are many ways you can enjoy it. For example, blend the soft tofu with your favorite vegetables or fruit and serve for breakfast or dessert, or blend with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil to make a tofu aoli dip. But I strongly recommend making freezing tofu for hotpot.
How are you making freezing tofu? Just remember the purpose is to remove as much moisture as possible. First, drain off fluids in the package and place the tofu on some paper towels. Cover the top of tofu with some paper towels as well. Pick a small plate and place it on top of tofu’s top paper towel for 15 minutes. This will force additional fluid to be pushed out. Then remove the small plate and all paper towels, and place the drained tofu inside a zip lock bag. Seal it properly and store in the freezer. The freezing tofu will be fine for at least 1 month. It will add a unique flavor to the hotpot.
Okay, enough about tofu’s wonderful things! Let’s dive into this simple healthy tofu recipe!
Ingredients
firm tofu, 1 individual package
dried black fungus 5
green pepper 10g, cut in strips
red millet pepper 5g
clove garlic 2, finely chopped
ginger 2 slices, finely chopped
scallion 1, finely chopped
soy sauce, 1 tablespoon
chicken soup, half of one small bowl
chili sauce, 1 tablespoon
salt, to taste
oil 4 tablespoons
startch 1 tablespoon
(Chinese Cooking 101: an ultimate list of essential Chinese cooking ingredients)
Steps:
- Cut tofu to 1-inch thin, 3-inch wide pieces.
- Soak dried black fungus in warm water for 20 minutes. Wash and drain.
- Add 4-tablespoon oil to a pan. Heat up the oil over medium heat.
- Fry tofu on each side separately. Remove from the pan when both sides turn golden brown. Transfer to a plate. Set aside.
- Leave the oil. Stir-fry chopped garlic, scallion and ginger for one minute.
- Add black fungus and green pepper. Continue to stir-fry.
- Add fried tofu. Add salt, chili oil and soy sauce. Stir-fry.
- Add chicken soup and simmer for 5 minutes over medium to low heat.
- Mix starch with water in a small bowl. Once the sauce thickens, add the starch water and mix well.
- Transfer to a plate and sprinkle some chopped scallion on top.
Ready to serve! Enjoy!
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