Spicy Silken Tofu

4.67 from 3 votes

If Chinese Hot and Sour Soup and Mapo Tofu had a baby, this Spicy Silken Tofu would be it. The sauce is a delicate balance of savory, spicy, a bit of acidity, and a hint of sweetness. You can enjoy this as a saucy tofu dish and serve it over a bowl of rice.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese, East Asian

Servings servings

Calories 320 kcal

Ingredients

MUSHROOMS

5 small dried shiitake mushrooms rehydrated (you can also use fresh)
10 pieces dried black fungus , rehydrated

TOFU

21.1 oz soft or silken tofu (2 tubes), sliced then water drained

SAUCE

2 tbsp doubanjiang or Chinese chili broad bean paste
1.5 to 2 tbsp soy sauce , adjust to taste
1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup room temperature water
1 tbsp corn starch
1/2 to 1 tbsp chili oil , optional for extra heat

STIR-FRY

1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
1/2 small onion diced
1 green onion white and green parts separated (green part for garnish)
1 small thumb ginger minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 small green bell pepper seeded and diced
Salt and pepper to taste for mushrooms

OPTIONAL

2 tbsp mushroom water , if needed to water down

TO FINISH

1 tbsp sesame oil
Chili crisp or chili oil
Chopped green onions for garnish

TO SERVE

Steamed rice

Instructions

MUSHROOMS

Rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms and black fungus. I left mine in room temperature water overnight. You can soak these for 20-30 minutes in hot water. Don’t discard the mushroom water.
You can also use fresh shiitake mushrooms or other mushrooms of your choice.
Squeeze out excess water from the mushrooms. Dice the shiitake mushrooms.
For the black fungus or wood ear mushroom, I thinly sliced half and the remaining half I tore into small pieces. This is to have different textures in the dish later on.

TOFU

Slice the tofu into 1-inch (2.5cm) thick pieces. Set aside in a bowl.
The tofu will release more water as it sits. Drain the water.

SAUCE

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well for the sugar and corn starch to dissolve. Feel free to adjust this to your desired taste.

STIR-FRYING/COOKING

Heat a medium or large pot over medium high heat.
Once hot, add the oil. Stir-fry the onion, white part of green onion, and ginger until aromatic - around 1 minute.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the sliced mushrooms then season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Stir-fry the mushrooms for 1-2 minutes.
Mix the sauce again since the corn starch tends to settle at the bottom of the bowl.
Over medium heat, pour the sauce into the mushroom mixture.
Mix well and allow the sauce to come to a boil. It will start to thicken from the starch.
Add the silken tofu into the pot.
Carefully mix the tofu into the sauce. Don’t over mix since this can easily break apart the silken tofu.
Add more of the mushroom water if you want to thin out the sauce. I added 1-2 tbsp water since I wanted my sauce thick to serve over rice. You can add more or less depending on your preference.
Taste the tofu with the sauce. Feel free to season with more soy sauce, to taste, if needed.
Finish the tofu with sesame oil, chili oil (if desired), and chopped green onions.
Serve while hot and enjoy over or with rice.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

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