Stuffed tofu is the most famous dish in Hakka cuisine. It's a unique dish, and while it may take a little more time to make than other side dishes, every minute is worth it. You'll get a juicy pork pie with a variety of flavors topped with a thick savory sauce!
Grandma always asked to make tofu stuffing together. Like wontons, it's a wonderful family experience that involves the whole family from start to finish.
Whether it's preparing vegetables, filling vegetables with fillings, cooking vegetables or making sauces, everyone has the opportunity to get involved.
It is especially important to save these recipes. Many dishes that involve extra love, time and care, such as noodle soup, are disappearing. Sadly, the modern fast-paced world isn't always a good fit for meals that take hours to get the whole family involved.
However, it is these recipes that remind me of the heart and soul of my childhood.
So, to protect our family's most precious dishes, here are the reasons why you need to try our stuffed tofu:
We use a variety of seasonal produce. Not only can you taste different flavors, but you can also enjoy a variety of tastes.
The sauce is poured heavily over the vegetables to bring together the various flavors. It's thick and fragrant, delicious enough to lick your fingers!
Each port has a balanced spring. Because we use both minced pork and fish sauce, you'll enjoy a juicy and bouncy taste.
Another benefit is that you can add anything you like – peppers, zucchini, pumpkin flowers, whatever you can think of.
So my advice is: get ready for a world of possibilities!
There are a few tips to ensure that your stuffed tofu makes the most of seasonal products:
Tomatoes - Choose medium-sized fruity ones. They will be cooked and need to maintain their shape.
Eggplant – Ideally, choose a heavier eggplant. But that doesn't necessarily mean bigger! If you compare two ones of similar size and one heavier, it may have more meat.
Bitter melon – If you prefer a less bitter bitter melon, you can find a longer groove.
Shiitake Mushrooms – Look for thinner and smaller mushrooms so you can actually taste the filling. Fresh or rehydrated yes.
Tofu – choose fried or hard. They need to maintain their shape when filling and frying.
chili pepper
As a rule of thumb, our family likes to put all the tofu on the small side because it's easier to eat and cook. But choose the one that's right for you!
Ah, the most anticipated question. When I was a kid, I used to wonder how to do this, because I couldn't stand the bitterness of bitter melons.
Choose bitter melon with a longer groove. You will find that some have a lot of small bumps, which indicates that the bitter melon is bitter. If you want a lighter taste, choose those with larger and longer chunks.
Rinse with water, rub with salt and squeeze out the juice. When we fried the bitter melon, Grandma kneaded the slices with salt, let it sit for a few minutes, and then squeezed out any liquid.
Of course, if you love your bitter melon bittersweed, then do the exact opposite of these steps!
1. Filling
200 g shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated or fresh)
500 g eggplant
1.5 kg tomatoes
500 g bitter melon
200 grams pounds of chili peppers
500 grams pounds of fried tofu
2. For filling
500 g minced pork (we use lean meat)
700 g fish sauce
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons pepper
3/4 tsp. salt (or depending on taste)
1 tbsp sesame oil
3/4 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp chicken concentrate powder
3. Sauce
500 ml water (or broth)
1.5 tbsp sugar (or according to taste)
3.5 tbsp light soy sauce
3.5 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp potato starch (mix with 1 tbsp water)
4. Extra ingredients
Cooking oil (for frying)
Use broth instead of water to add flavor. As for potato starch, cornstarch is also available if you don't have one.
If you can't buy fish sauce, you can replace it with more minced meat. The texture won't be exactly the same, but it will still be delicious.
Stuffed tofu is traditionally made with minced pork and fish sauce, but you can certainly swap it for something you like!
Cooking instructions
Mix minced meat, fish sauce, pepper, salt, water, sesame oil, fish sauce and chicken powder in a bowl and set aside.
When preparing the tomatoes, cut them in half along the width and gently squeeze each piece to remove excess liquid. Then scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and place them in a colander with their open side facing down.
Note: This step will reduce the moisture in the tomatoes. If there is too much liquid, the filler may not stick so easily.
For eggplants, you need to cut them into pieces so that the meat can be sandwiched in the middle. For this, cut about 1 cm from the tip of half of the eggplant.
Repeat 1 cm from the first incision, but cut it all the way to break it. You'll end up with a piece of eggplant that can be opened in the middle like a mouth to fill.
When preparing the tofu, cut a cut in the center of the tofu about 3 cm long and about 1 cm deep as a pocket for minced meat.
Note: Each tofu brand has a different way of making tofu, so just cut it big enough and don't break anything.
Finally, use a knife from the top of the pepper to the bottom until it can be opened. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon.
Stuff all the ingredients into it and scoop the mixture with the back of a teaspoon. It is then wedged into a slit or gap and flattened.
Note: The amount of filling you use depends entirely on personal preference, but we like to use less so that it cooks faster.
Add enough oil to cover the bottom in a wok or pan, then fry the tofu ingredients over medium heat until the filling is golden brown. Cooking times vary depending on the vegetables, but each batch takes about 10-15 minutes.
When vegetables absorb oil, replenish the oil.
Tip: Keep the minced meat down so it can be cooked before turning it over.
At the same time, place water, chicken powder, sugar, soy sauce and oyster sauce in a pan and simmer over medium heat.
Mix the potato starch with 1 tablespoon of water and slowly pour in the sauce while stirring.
While it's still hot, bring the sauce and stuffed tofu to the table right away!
Finally, the ingredients are prepared with a strong flavor. Bitter melon and pepper should be placed last so as not to cross-contaminate the taste.
Start with less padding. Different vegetables will come in different sizes, so chop less at the beginning until you're sure there's more meat.
Do not overfill. Not only will this prolong the cooking time of the stuffed tofu, but the filling will become heavier, making it harder to stick to the vegetables.