dubu jorim (tofu braised in soy and mirin)

Ideal quick takeout-style weeknight protein! Sweet, savory, vegetarian, and super affordable.

+

Ingredients:

• 1 pack 16 oz firm tofu
• 1/2 yellow onion sliced
• 4 tsp vegetable oil (canola or any other mild flavor oil)

Sauce:

• 3 T Soy Sauce (dark soy sauce)
• 1 T rice wine (mirin)
• 2 T water
• 1/2 – 1t. sugar (original calls for 1 -2 tsp sugar; 1tsp. was quite sweet but not too sweet; anything more would probably be too sweet for me)
• 1 tsp red chili powder (less if using a chili besides mild Korean gochugaru. I used Indian red chili powder, and probably used about a half-teaspoon, and it was just barely mild, so I recommend about 3/4t. to 1tsp. cayenne or other hot chili powder.)
• 2 green onions chopped
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Directions

1. Cut up the tofu in half and then into 1/3 inch (0.8 cm) thick slices

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.

3. Fry the tofu about 5 min. on each side until lightly browned.

4. While the tofu is being cooked, make the sauce and set it aside.

5. Add sliced onions to fried tofu in pan. Stir gently.

6. Pour the prepared soy mirin sauce mixture onto the tofu stack. Make sure the sauce is distributed evenly throughout.

7. Turn the heat to medium and immediately lower to simmer when sauce starts to bubble.  Simmer for 20 min. until the sauce is mostly gone.

Serve hot with rice or congee, along with veggies like blistered green beans, or cold as a salad, appetizer, or banchan, along with a cold and refreshing cucumber salad, bean sprouts, or radish salad.

original recipe by kimchimari – adapted by friedsig

+

Fantastic quick dinner. Tastes a lot like a takeout meal, with that sweet and savory sauce. Addictive. The braised onions come out really fantastic and sweet. I recommend this to anyone looking for a takeout-style quick weeknight meal!

Tip: If you’re like me and don’t often fry slices of tofu (I’m currently addicted to soft tofu, like mapo tofu and soondubu jjigae!) remember not to fry them too “hard” or it may come out too chewy!

Tagging this with “rotation” so I remember to make it again. Check out the ROTATION tag for more of my go-to meals!

Advertisement

liangban tofu (chilled soft tofu salad)

ten minutes til a quick snack full of protein, all nine essential amino acids, iron, calcium, magnesium, and more…

one block soft tofu
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon black vinegar
2 fresh Thai peppers (you can replace it with chili oil)
1/2 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 green onion, finely chopped
minced cilantro, to taste
toasted Sichuan peppercorns, to taste

1. cube tofu and steam for ten minutes
2. separately, mix together all other ingredients
3. dump ingredients on top of tofu and refrigerate

+

adapted from china sichuan food and tim elwyn

+

my favorite tofu is definitely mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐) and my favorite junk food tofu is crispy vegan kung pao tofu…

…but what if you don’t have an hour to press and fry tofu? what if you like mapo tofu but you don’t eat pork?

THIS is my new go-to quick tofu recipe for lazy vegans. it’s a great summer recipe, too, since you don’t have to kick your wok up to high heat.

i wasn’t completely smitten with it when i first tasted it, but once the tofu sucked up the sauce, i had no trouble eating an entire brick of tofu myself.

if you don’t care for wild splattering oil, if you’re on a diet, if you’re not into pork, if you’re in a rush, or on a soft food diet after surgery or dental problems, or if you’re just too lazy to cook, i definitely recommend this!

mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐)

Quest for the perfect mapo tofu!

VERSION 1 – a sweet, Americanized version by Shirley Cheng for epicurious

•1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
•1 1/2 pounds soft (not silken) tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
•2 tablespoons Chinese hot bean paste (also called chili bean sauce)
•1 tablespoon Chinese black-bean paste or sauce
•4 tablespoons oyster sauce (note: this is too much, and will make your dish very, very sweet)
•2 tablespoons Asian chili powder (note: this is clearly too much for most westerners; add a little at first and more to taste)
•1 tablespoon cornstarch
•1/4 cup peanut oil (I mixed in some hot chili oil from dan dan noodles)
•4 ounces ground beef
•1 (1/4-inch) piece fresh ginger, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 scallion (white and green parts), thinly sliced on diagonal
•1/4 cup Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
•1 medium leek (white and pale green parts only), washed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 1/2 cup)
•1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
•1 tablespoon light soy sauce
•1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

recipe by Shirley Cheng for epicurious

+

VERSION 2 – from omnivore’s cookbook

•120 grams (4 ounces) ground meat (pork, chicken or turkey)
•2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (or Japanese Sake)
•1 teaspoon light soy sauce
•1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

For braising
•1 teaspoon cornstarch
•2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns (increase to 3 teaspoons if you like your dish extra numbing)
•1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•3 tablespoons Doubanjiang spicy fermented bean paste
•2 tablespoons green onion, chopped (note: I didn’t have any, so I used 2 cloves of garlic)
•1 block (400-g / 14-oz) firm or medium firm tofu , cut into 1.5cm (1/2 inch) squares
•1 cup water or stock
•2 teaspoons Chinese chili oil; 1 teaspoon for a less spicy dish (note: for a mild dan dan noodle chili oil, you will need all 2 teaspoons.)
•1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
•1 teaspoon sugar (or to taste)
rice or another grain to serve

1. Combine ground meat/veg, cooking wine, soy sauce, and ginger in a bowl. Mix well.

2. Combine cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.

3. Cut and prep ingredients.

4. Heat vegetable oil and Sichuan peppercorns in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When the Sichuan peppercorns turn dark brown and crispy, scoop them out with spatula and transfer into a bowl layered with paper towel to soak extra oil. Save to use for garnish the dish.

5. When oil is hot, add ground meat and bean paste. Stir-fry over medium heat with a spatula, until pork is evenly coated with bean paste. Add green onion and stir fry for another minute.

6. Spread tofu evenly on top of ground pork – don’t stir until it braises for a few minutes, so the tofu doesn’t fall apart. Add chili oil, five-spice powder, and sugar. Pour in broth/water and simmer, covered, over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until tofu becomes tender and the sauce has reduced to half the original amount. Taste the tofu with some broth. Adjust seasoning by adding salt. If the dish is too spicy, add another teaspoon of sugar. Gently mix well with spatula.

7. Mix cornstarch water again until fully dissolved and swirl it into the skillet. Gently stir a few times with a spatula, until sauce thickens. Turn off heat and transfer everything to a bowl.

8. Garnish with green onion and Sichuan peppercorns, if using. Serve warm over rice or another grain.

+

VERSION 3 – from iron chef chen

1 package silken tofu
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
water, for parboiling tofu

3 ounces ground pork
1⁄2 cup green garlic chives, chopped in 1/2 inches (nira)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chinese chili bean sauce (toubanjan or doubanjiang)
1 tablespoon chinese brown bean sauce (tenmienjan, tenmenjan, or tenmenjiang)
2 teaspoons fermented black beans, chopped finely
1⁄4 – 1⁄2 teaspoon ichimi togarashi pepper or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon japanese dried red chili pepper, minced
1 teaspoon chili oil
3⁄4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon sake or 1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon szechuan peppercorn (optional)

Cornstarch paste: 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water

Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes. Heat enough water in a large saucepan, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and tofu pieces. Bring to boil and cook tofu on medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes and remove from heat. Precooking tofu in water prevents tofu from breaking apart easily later. Set aside.
While tofu is cooking, make cornstarch paste by mixing 1 T cornstarch and 1 T water. Set aside.
Set wok on high heat for 1 minute until hot. Add 2 T vegetable oil and swirl the pan, then add ground pork, stirring to separate.
When ground pork is browned, add Chinese brown bean sauce ie tenmenjan, tenmienjan, or tenmenjiang, Chinese chili bean sauce ie toubanjan or doubanjiang, fermented black beans, and ichimi tougarashi or minced dried red chili pepper. Continue to cook for 1 minute.
Add chili oil, drained tofu pieces, chicken stock, garlic chives, soy sauce, and sake. Stir fry gently for 1-2 minutes.
Add cornstarch paste to thicken and add sesame oil. Swirl gently and cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium high heat. Sprinkle Szechuan peppercorn on top.
Serve with steamed white rice.

+

VERSION 4 – from Hong Kong Food City by Tony Tan

“This classic Sichuan dish was invented by a widow named Chen at a stall in Chengdu. The name translates as ‘pock-marked grandmother’s bean curd’. It’s made with soft-textured bean curd similar to silken tofu along with chilli flakes, fermented black beans and a chilli bean paste called doubanjiang.

50 g (1¾ oz) minced (ground) beef
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) soft bean curd, cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) cubes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1–2 tablespoons chilli bean paste (doubanjiang; see Note)
2 teaspoons fermented black beans
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chilli oil, or to taste
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) chicken stock
1 baby leek, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon roasted ground Sichuan pepper
1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
30 g (1 oz) Sichuan preserved vegetable (see Note), rinsed and finely chopped
1 teaspoon potato flour, mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Chopped spring onions (scallions), to serve
MARINADE
½ teaspoon light soy sauce
½ teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl, add the beef, mix well and marinate for 5–10 minutes.
Cook the bean curd in a saucepan of simmering water until warmed through. Drain well and set aside.
Heat a wok over high heat, add the oil, then add the beef and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Add the garlic, reduce the heat to medium and stir in the chilli bean paste, fermented black beans, soy sauce, sugar and chilli oil. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds, then pour in the stock, add the bean curd and stir gently so as not to break up the cubes. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the leek, Sichuan pepper, chilli flakes and Sichuan preserved vegetable. Stir in the potato flour mixture and simmer until the sauce thickens. Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with spring onions and serve with steamed rice.
Note The best doubanjiang is from Pixian county in Sichuan. It’s very salty so use it sparingly. If you can’t find this variety, use Lee Kum Kee doubanjiang. Sichuan preserved vegetable, called zha cai in Mandarin or ja choy in Cantonese, is often sold in cans or plastic bags in Chinese grocers. Made from the stems of a variety of mustard green, it’s brined, then pickled with chilli powder. Rinse off the excess chilli and salt before using.”

+

RECIPE 1: I’ll be honest – I hardly followed the recipe. I made my own low-sodium versions of bean paste, since I ran out of fermented bean paste a few months ago. I combined miso, a homemade version of hoisin with peanut butter and tamari… the substitutions were a mess. Sherry for Shaoxing wine, sesame oil for peanut oil… I barely had anything the recipe called for at all. But this was still one of the best things I made all winter.

Hits all those comfort food notes. Greasy, sweet, salty, savory, texturally interesting, and absolutely numbing and spicy. Just… yes. I used some extra chili oil from last month’s batch of dan dan noodles (dandanmian), and a ton of Sichuan peppercorns toasted and ground, although nowhere near the teaspoon called for in the recipe.

A comment on the Epi review recommends iron chef Chen‘s recipe as slightly more authentic and less sweet. Since I used half my oyster sauce on this recipe, I’ll definitely try it.

+

RECIPE 2: I was worried it’d be too spicy, so I cut the bean paste from 3T to 2T. It wasn’t spicy enough last night, but the leftovers sat and got spicier and spicier! Today it was just perfect. I’d say cut it to 2T if you’re making it for tomorrow. Otherwise, go for the whole 3T! Very different from the super-sweet oyster sauce version. They’re both so good! I would say version two is a little more savory and simple, and recipe one is a little more of a flavor bomb, much saltier and sweeter. The first is perfect for American palates, and the second is great for people who don’t care for sweet food. I highly recommend both! I can’t wait to try iron chef Chen‘s recipe to complete this trifecta of tofu!

Added this to the “rotation” tag because I plan to try all the different versions of this amazing dish. I made this twice so far in March. What a rad way to use up the last little bit of ground meat in your fridge!

edit: help I can’t stop eating this incredible spicy meal

+

RECIPE 3: (July, 2019) I’m guessing this is the most authentic, as it tastes the least like something from an Americanized Chinese restaurant. Recipe #1 is way too sweet, even for me, but it’s really delicious if you like it sweet. Recipe #2 is super flavorful. Recipe #3 is definitely more subtle. I splurged on some fermented black beans this year, and I really liked their subtle flavor in this. I definitely recommend recipe #3 – it’s delicious.

+

BEST MAPO TOFU EVER: for my tastes, I prefer recipe #2 with some alterations. Next, I will start combining all these recipes – a little oyster sauce or hoisin from recipe #1, a ton of chives from recipe #3, using the skeleton of recipe #2. I have made this no less than five times this year!

crispy vegan kung pao tofu

This hit the spot. It tastes like something from an Americanized Chinese restaurant – sweet, crunchy, salty, and satisfying. I definitely recommend this one. If you can get past frying the tofu, the sauce takes three minutes to cook up, and your house will smell great.

+

vegetable or peanut oil for frying or baking
1/8 cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Kosher salt
1/4 cup cold water
1 pound extra-firm tofu, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, pressed with something heavy to release moisture, and ideally patted dry to avoid the oil spitting
1/4 cup water or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sichuan broad bean chili paste (I used miso and chili-garlic paste)
1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
3 scallions, whites finely minced, and greens finely sliced, reserved separately
3 cloves minced garlic (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sichuan peppercorns, divided
12 hot Chinese dry chili peppers (I used 6)
2 small leeks, white and light green parts only, cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 1/2 cup total) (I left these out and it was still great)
2 ribs celery, split in half lengthwise and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 long green Chinese hot pepper, stemmed and seeded, cut into 3/4-inch squares (I omitted this)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
Cooked white rice, for serving
Procedures

1
Heat oil in a wok to 350°F. (You can also bake the tofu if you prefer! If baking it, move to step 3.) Whisk together cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Add water and whisk until a smooth batter is formed, adding up to 2 tablespoons additional water if batter is too thick. It should have the consistency of thin paint and fall off of the whisk in thin ribbons that instantly disappear as they hit the surface of the batter in the bowl.

2
Add tofu and carefully turn to coat. Working one at a time, lift one piece and allow excess batter to drip off. Carefully lower into hot oil. Repeat with remaining tofu until wok is full. Fry, using a metal spider or slotted spatula to rotate and agitate pieces as they cook until evenly pale golden and crisp all over, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all tofu is fried. Carefully pour oil out of wok.

3
Combine stock, soy sauce, bean paste, vinegar, sugar, and remaining 2 teaspoons corn starch in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine scallion whites, garlic, and ginger in a second small bowl. Set aside. Coarsely grind half of peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.

4
Set a fine mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl or saucepan. Return 1/4 cup oil to wok and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add remaining half of peppercorns and chilies and cook, stirring, for 5 seconds. Immediately drain through fine mesh strainer. Pick out chilies and set aside. Discard cooked peppercorns

5
Return infused oil to the wok and heat over high heat until lightly smoking. Add leeks, celery, and long pepper and cook, stirring and tossing, until vegetables are lightly charred and tender-crisp, about 1 1/2 minutes. Clear a space in the center of the wok and add the scallion/ginger/garlic mixture. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add peanuts, dried chilies, and drained tofu. Stir sauce mixture and add to wok. Cook, tossing and folding ingredients together until tofu is fully coated. Add scallion greens and ground peppercorns and toss to combine. Serve immediately with white rice.

+

adapted from serious eats

five-minute hot and sour soup

Another reason to keep homemade stock around.

Feels great for the winter blahs.

+

Add bone broth (or veggie stock) and water to a pot.

Bring to a simmer with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil (fry for a minute in a medium hot pan,) and salt.

Optional: If you like it restaurant-style and thick, add a corn starch slurry. Start with a half-teaspoon of starch to a teaspoon of water. A little goes a long way, but go as thick as you like.

Also optional: If you have them around, you can add dried or fresh mushrooms, bamboo shoots, lily buds, cilantro, extra-firm tofu, slivers of pork shoulder or chicken, or whatever you like in soup.

About 30 seconds before serving, beat an egg with a pinch of starch like potato or corn starch. Drizzle forkfuls of egg into the simmering soup.

Take off heat. Add tons of white pepper and either chinkiang vinegar or a combination of red wine, rice, and apple cider vinegars. Top with cilantro, or sesame seeds, or just sip it and keep warm.

+

modified from serious eats

how to get crispy tofu

the minimalist baker says you should drain your tofu 1.5 hours before the meal is ready.

then, roll it in a kitchen towel and press it with something heavy, like a pot, for 15 minutes.

then, cube and pre-bake for 25 mins at 400 degrees to dry it out a little more.

then, stir-fry as usual.

thai salad with crispy tofu over greens

can’t wait to try this one from veggie and the beast feast.

1 chopped red bell pepper
1 chopped carrot
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 tablespoon olive oil
salad greens
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
¼ cup raw cashews, chopped

tofu:
1 14-ounce container extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon reduced sodium tamari
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cornstarch

dressing:
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons unseasoned brown rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon tamari
3 tablespoons honey
3 garlic cloves
1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons light coconut milk

toss red pepper, carrot, and edamame in olive oil and broil for 5-7 minutes, stirring/shaking the pan 3 times and checking frequently to keep the veggies from burning.

remove from oven and lower to 400 degrees.

let tofu drain, or press to remove moisture.

slice tofu and add the sesame oil and tamari and sesame seeds.

bake for 25-30 minutes, flip once.

combine everything. drizzle with dressing just before serving.

dressing: food process or blend ingredients.

+

modified from veggie and the beast feast

vegan cajun “blackened andouille sausage”

another happy accident from my kitchen to yours.

cut extra firm tofu into “steaks” and marinate in your favorite dressing or marinade as long as you can stand. (i did oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, tahini, and some other stuff. you can use salad dressing if you’re lazy.) sprinkle with a lot of cajun seasonings. if you don’t have it, throw together lots of paprika with a little salt, thyme, red pepper, black pepper, and lots of garlic powder. make it as spicy as you can stand with red pepper or cayenne.

marinate a few hours, or as long as you can stand to wait.

start hot chili oil (or any high heat oil like canola) on medium-high, like for flash-frying.

fry on one side until dark brown.

start to break it up with your spatula. get rough with it, until it crumbles into ground sausage sized pieces.

continue stir-frying until crumbles firm up and get meaty.

serve on top of a salad – i can attest that this is terrific for dinner!
you can also serve it anywhere you need a little spice! How about on a vegan po’ boy sandwich, in a stir-fry, mixed into a bean salad, tucked into a lasagna, or – of course – jambalaya, gumbo, or any of their infinite variations? the possibilities are endless!

vegan satay & dipping sauce

this recipe works with any protein, by the way. i’m using tofu here because more of my friends eat this than other proteins. chicken, pork, beef, etc. work just as well.

marinate tofu/meat in cayenne, ginger, garlic, and some kind of delicious spice blend. i’m making this today at a friend’s house who will have more latin-influenced spices than indian, so i’ll probably do cumin, lime juice, coriander, cinnamon, cilantro/coriander leaves, and whatever nutmeg/mace/allspice stuff she has. shrimp paste and fish sauce makes this authentically thai; lacto-fermented hot-pepper pickles add a sour tang and can be a substitute.

+

dipping sauce

coconut cream/milk
peanut butter
tamarind
butter/oil
cilantro

heat. dip. enjoy.