Nowadays, we try to eat less meat but I find that vegetables that I am able to find here are very limited especially in January. But I have a few tricks up my sleeves when it comes to preparing Asian plant-based dishes. I am using just 2 ingredients, tofu and Chinese preserved vegetables.
One of the aisles in Asian grocery stores that generally gets neglected is the packaged food section. However, if you know what you’re looking for there’s plenty of hidden gem in there. Today, I picked to highlight the preserved vegetables to pair with our good ol’ tofu.
Plant-derived Umami from Preserved Vegetables
Ageing process has long been used to not only preserved our ingredients but also the by-product of that is the deep element of taste we call umami. There are few different ways that Asians typically incorporate ingredients that are rich in umami to enhance the flavour of the dish.
We already know of the fermented soybean paste that is very common in Japanese and Korean cuisines, called miso and doenjang respectively. But another ingredient I’d like to introduce today is the Chinese preserved vegetables.
They come in many different variations. Many use mustard stems and greens while others use cabbage. The one used in this recipe is the Sichuan preserved mustard stem with black fungus.
I often keep a pack or 2 of the Chinese preserved vegetables because they always come in handy. It only takes seconds to whip up delicious sauce packed full of flavour without needing a lot of ingredients. This is perfect for a quick meal kinda day.
Choosing the right tofu for the dish
For this particular dish, I like to use the medium tofu. I like the texture of the medium when shallow fried. The exterior has a bite to it while the inside is still moist and juicy.
You can learn more about the other types of tofu and what dishes to prepare in the post. I have talked about the most common types of tofu used in Thai dishes.
Tofu with Chinese Pickled Vegetable
Ingredients
- 500 g medium tofu
- 100 ml frying oil
- 1 tsp corn flour
- 100 ml water
- 1 pack Chinese pickled vegetables
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce swap out for mushroom sauce for a vegetarian option
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut up the tofu into about 2cm (1/2 inch) thick slices then fry in a pan on medium heat. This will take about 5 minutes on each side.
- In a bowl, dissolve cornflour in cold water then set aside.
- Meanwhile, let's make the sauce. In a separate pan, add the Chinese pickled veg, oyster sauce, sugar and black pepper. Give the cornflour mix a stir then add into the pan.
- The sauce will start to thicken, cook on the heat for another minute to ensure cornflour is cooked.
- At this point, the tofu should be done. Take the tofu out of the pan then arrange them on the plate. Spoon the sauce over the tofu. Done!
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