Don’t be fooled: tofu doesn’t suck. Let this saucy & flavorful stir-fry show you just how great tofu can really be!
I’m just going to say it: I hate extra-firm tofu. Everyone (and by everyone I mean Westerners) says always buy extra-firm tofu. It SUCKS, and you know what sucks even more? Pressing tofu. This is a no-paper towel household, you think I’m sacrificing my dish towels to soak tofu water? Please.
Let me tell you what’s up: medium-firm. An absolute godsend. Still firm enough for stir frying, not so firm that I feel like I’m eating a condensed sponge. Here’s a generalized take on things; Western cuisine treats tofu like a substitute for something, while Asian cuisine celebrates tofu for what it is (the same goes for other things like tempe). That difference is a deep deep chasm. The two ways to make tofu really shine imo are: 1) sauce it up 2) fry it in corn starch and 3) soup. Today we’ll look at the first way. Since tofu itself doesn’t have much taste, if you add it to a saucy dish it can provide some welcome contrast while still absorbing a bit of that flavor. Kind of like why people eat rice.
If you don’t primarily cook Chinese/South East Asian food then some sauces I list in the recipe may not be in your pantry. That’s fine, I highly recommend getting them though. Experiment with sauces that you’re familiar with! And if you’re having trouble just comment below and I’ll help :) At least keep some soy sauce at home though.
P.S. Something I always love to eat with tofu stir-fry is Laoganma Chili Crisp (pictured). Real ones know, if it’s available around you then get some, or some other chili crisp that you prefer <3
Quick Tofu Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 container medium-firm tofu 400g
- 1 handful mini king oyster mushrooms or mushrooms of your choice, around 5~10 mushrooms, torn
- Literally any vegetable you like pictured: green beans & broccoli (other examples: snow peas, carrot, onion, bell pepper, etc.)
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander optional
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp soy sauce more to taste
- 1~2 tbsp fish sauce to taste
- 1 tsp maggi sauce (a couple shakes)
- 2 tsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) or maple syrup/brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cooking oil more as needed
Topping
- 1 tsp fried shallots optional
- 1 tsp Laoganma chili crisp optional
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Slice your tofu and lightly pat dry.
- Once pan is hot, sear tofu in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan, flip when bottoms are browned and then take out of the pan and set aside. While they're cooking, you can sprinkle some salt and white pepper onto them.
- Add some more oil in pan if needed, then sear the mushrooms. Do not wash mushrooms beforehand if you want them to crisp up. Make sure to use medium-high heat.
- Add your veggies. After they are about halfway cooked, add all the sauces & seasonings.
- Taste the sauce and see if you want to make any adjustments. If you're using a sauce for the first time and you feel unsure, you can add a bit at a time and taste to see if you want more!
- Add the tofu back in and gently stir to coat with the sauce. Cook for another 1~2 minutes. If the sauce is a bit watery you can mix a bit of cornstarch and warm water together and add it in to thicken it up.
- Enjoy! Serve with rice & top with chili crisp, fried shallots for some crunch, and drizzle with sesame oil.
