Braised Tofu with Basil

4.91 from 11 votes

A simple homestyle braised tofu with basil. This is hearty, comforting, and packed with that extra flavour from the fresh basil. Blocks of extra firm tofu are cooked to a golden brown crisp before being simmered in a deliciously savoury sauce with basil.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese, East Asian

Servings people

Calories 330 kcal

Ingredients

Tofu

19.5 oz firm or extra firm tofu
Neutral oil for cooking

Sauce

3/4 cup room temperature water
1 tbsp corn starch
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce optional for colour
1-2 tbsp soy sauce adjust more to taste
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce or stir-fry sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or other rice wine

Basil Tofu

1/2 cup packed basil leaves roughly broken apart (I used Thai basil, see notes)
1 small red onion or shallot sliced
1 long green chilli sliced (optional for heat)
3 cloves garlic chopped or minced
Other veggies of choice see notes
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Press your tofu for at least 10 minutes to drain out excess liquid. I like to wrap mine in a towel and place a heavy flat surface on top (such as a few plates or chopping board).
Slice the tofu into 2” (5-cm) cubes or other shape of choice. I like my tofu in large cubes because the tofu still has that soft spongy bite on the inside even if the outside is cooked to a crisp.
Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl until the sugar and cornstarch has dissolved.
Heat a large non-stick pan or pot over medium high heat. Add in enough oil to cover the surface. Alternatively, you can opt to bake or air-fry your tofu until golden brown and crisp.
Add the tofu in the pan then pan-fry on each side until golden brown and crisp, around 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
Transfer the tofu to a plate and set aside.
You can lessen the oil from the pan and then heat it again over medium high heat.
Add in half of the basil and cook in down in the oil for 1-2 minutes until wilted. Add in the onion/shallots and chili, if using.
Sauté for 1 minute. Add in the minced garlic and sauté for another minute. 
If adding other veggies into this dish, sauté the veggies until tender before adding the sauce.
Give the sauce a good mix again to make sure the starch doesn't stick to the bottom of the bowl.
Over medium heat, pour in the sauce into the pan. Lower the heat to medium. Allow the sauce to come to a boil. It’ll start to thicken from the corn starch.
Add in the cooked tofu. Lower the heat and mix well. Leave the tofu to cook in the sauce for 4 to 5 minutes for the tofu to absorb the flavours. The sauce will continue to thicken slowly as it cooks down. It’ll also start to beautifully coat the blocks of tofu.
Taste the tofu and feel free to season with salt and pepper to taste, and more soy sauce, if needed.
Turn off the heat and then serve warm with some rice for a perfectly hearty and satisfying meal. Enjoy!

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Notes

BASIL

You can also use sweet or holy basil for this recipe.

OTHER VEGGIES

This is a very versatile recipe so you can add other vegetables like bell peppers, cabbage, carrot, and even mushrooms into the mix.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

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