China · Home-style
Home-Style Pan-Fried Tofu
Egg-based Japanese-style tofu sealed in a starch crust and fried until golden, then tossed with green pepper, carrot and a savoury sauce. Crisp outside, silky within.
What is called Japanese tofu in Chinese supermarkets is usually an egg and stock set into a block, which is why it holds together under a starch coating and fries so well. It is a weeknight dish that behaves like a small meat course, and cooks often adjust the sauce towards sweet and sour or plain savoury depending on the household. Getting the crust thin is the only real skill involved.
Ingredients
- japanese-style egg tofu3 pieces
- green pepper120 g
- carrot50 g
- ham sausage1 pieces
- dried wood ear mushrooms10 g
- potato starch80 g
- onion30 g
- garlic2 pieces
- cooking oil5 ml
- light soy sauce8 ml
- oyster sauce15 ml
- salt2 g
- chicken bouillon powder3 g
- sugar10 g
- ketchup15 ml
Directions
- 1
Slice the carrot, cut the green pepper into thin pieces, and chop the spring onion and garlic.
- 2
Open the packet of Japanese-style tofu and cut it into cylinders about 1 cm thick.
- 3
Put the potato starch on a flat plate, ready for coating the tofu.
- 4
Lay the tofu gently on the starch and coat the top, bottom and sides, taking care not to build up too thick a layer.
- 5
Add 150 ml oil to a flat pan, enough to come most of the way up the tofu, and fry until the edges turn golden, then turn and fry the other side.
- 6
Lift out the tofu once both sides are done and place it on a clean plate.
- 7
Pour 10 to 15 ml oil into a wok, add the spring onion and garlic, fry until fragrant, then add the green pepper, carrot, ham sausage and wood ear mushrooms.
- 8
Add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, salt, chicken bouillon powder, sugar and ketchup.
- 9
Stir-fry gently until the colour is even.
Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.