Home-Style Tofu

Where This Goes Wrong

Fry the tofu first. Unfried tofu falls apart in the sauce.

Fry the doubanjiang until the oil turns red.

Turn gently once the tofu is back in.

Cooking Home-Style Tofu

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1. Press the tofu between cloths under a weight for 20 minutes, then cut it into thick triangles.

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2. Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a wok and fry the tofu in batches 3 minutes a side, until golden and slightly puffed. Lift out.

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3. Add the last tablespoon of oil and fry the pork belly 3 minutes, until its fat runs and the edges crisp.

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4. Add the doubanjiang and black beans and fry 30 seconds, until the oil turns red.

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5. Add the garlic and ginger for 20 seconds, then the green pepper and leek for 1 minute.

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6. Add the soy sauce, wine, sugar, salt and water and bring to a simmer.

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7. Return the tofu and simmer 3 minutes, turning gently, so it takes up the sauce.

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8. Stir in the slaked cornflour, finish with the sesame oil and serve.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Why It Works

Fry the tofu before it goes anywhere near the sauce. Frying gives it a skin that holds it together through braising and gives the sauce something to cling to, and unfried tofu simply breaks into curds when you stir. Press it dry first and cut it into thick triangles rather than cubes, which gives more surface. And doubanjiang needs frying in the oil until the oil turns red before any liquid arrives — thirty seconds of that is worth more than any amount of simmering.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

Refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water.

Changing the Recipe

• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Good With

• Steamed rice
• Stir-fried greens
• A cold beer

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Stir-Fried Water Spinach.

Still Wondering?

Home-Style Tofu Nutrition Facts

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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