Easy Braised Tofu
Here’s a really simple easy braised tofu you can easily cook up on a weekday to enjoy with a bowl of steamed rice. The pieces of tofu are cooked to a golden brown crisp before being simmered in a deliciously savoury soy-based sauce for it to soak up all the flavours.
Ingredients
- 19 oz firm or extra firm tofu
- Neutral oil for frying
- 3 scallions
- 1 small red bell pepper sliced (see notes for other veggies)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 dried chili sliced (optional for added spice, see notes)*
- 1 tbsp sesame oil for stir-frying
Sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (sub other rice wine like sake, mirin, or dry sherry)
- 1 tbsp dark mushroom soy sauce (see notes)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce plus more to taste if needed
- 1 tbsp sugar or other sweetener of choice
- 2 tbsp vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce or stir fry sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
For Cooking and Serving
- 1 cup water
- Toasted sesame seeds for topping
- More chopped scallions for topping
Instructions
- You can watch the video below to see how to cook this braised tofu.
- 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).
- Slice the scallions into 2” long pieces. Prepare the bell pepper, garlic, and chili (if using), as well.
- Slice the tofu in 3/4 to 1” (2.5 cm) thick pieces.
- Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl until the sugar and cornstarch has dissolved.
- Heat a large non-stick pan 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 6 to 7 minutes on each side.
- Transfer the tofu to a plate and set aside.
- Remove the oil from the pan and then heat over medium high heat again. Add in some sesame oil. Sauté the scallions, garlic, dried chilli, and bell pepper until tender, around 3 minutes.
- 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 water and sauce into the pan.
- Mix well and then add in the tofu into the sauce. Leave the sauce to simmer over medium high heat, and once it boils, lower the heat to medium.
- Leave the tofu to cook in the sauce for 4 to 5 minutes for the tofu to absorb the flavours. The sauce will also start to thicken slowly as it cooks down. Taste the tofu and feel free to season with more soy sauce, if needed.
- Turn off the heat and then serve warm with some rice for a perfectly hearty and satisfying meal. Feel free to top your tofu with more sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Enjoy!
WATCH Video
Notes
Dried chili: If you don’t have dried chilli but would like your tofu with a little bit of spice, feel free to use fresh chili or even some hot sauce!
Dark soy sauce: This soy sauce is much richer in colour and less salty than regular soy sauce so if you’re unable to get some for this recipe, feel free to substitute with more of the “oyster” sauce or regular soy sauce. Do note that the sauce may not turn out as dark brown without this.
Other veggies: You can opt to add in other vegetables in this dish like some thinly sliced carrots, broccoli, or even mushrooms! It’s really flexible to feel free to use what you have and just season the sauce more, if needed.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1129mg | Potassium: 368mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3mg
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