Easy Fried Tofu with Minced Pork Recipe
Want to enjoy a delicious and easy-to-make Chinese dish at home? This fried tofu with minced pork will be your best choice. Let's learn how to create this impressive dish together.
Why do I like this recipe?
Crispy outside and tender inside tofu: The fried tofu has a crispy and fragrant surface. When you bite into it, the inside is still soft, tender and full of the aroma of soybeans. Coated with the savory minced meat sauce, it wins in terms of taste.
Simple seasoning: Broad bean paste adds spiciness and fragrance, oyster sauce brings out a sweet aftertaste, and light soy sauce adjusts the saltiness. There's no need to add sugar or chicken essence. You can cook a restaurant - level dish with ordinary seasonings.
Time - saving and labor - saving: You can fry the tofu and stir - fry the minced meat simultaneously. You only need to wash one pot throughout the process. The requirements for the heat are not strict. Even if you slowly stir and turn the ingredients over on medium - low heat, it's not easy to make mistakes.
No pressure in ingredient substitution: Replacing celery with Chinese garlic sprouts will make the dish more fragrant. If you're afraid of the spiciness of red peppers, you can use colored peppers instead. You can use either firm or soft tofu. For the minced meat, you can choose pork, beef or chicken according to your preference. Just use whatever you have in the fridge.
Where can I buy tofu?
An Asian supermarket is naturally the best place with the most variety. Usually, you can find firm tofu, soft tofu, and even Japanese tofu there.
However, many local supermarkets now also supply tofu in their refrigerated sections. For example, there is an organic tofu section in Whole Foods, or an Asian food shelf in Tesco.
Note that the soft tofu is usually stored in a plastic box immersed in water in the fridge. The firm tofu is often vacuum - packed.
Which type of tofu is better?
For stir - fried tofu with minced meat, it is recommended to choose firm tofu or slab tofu. These two types of tofu have a relatively firm texture and are less likely to fall apart when fried.
If the tofu is too thin, it will dry out easily when fried. If it is too thick, it will be difficult for the flavors to penetrate. It is safer to use medium heat when frying tofu. Flip the tofu over when you see the edges turn slightly golden brown. This way, it is less likely to stick to the pan and can form a uniform crispy crust.
I once tried making this dish with Japanese tofu. Although it has a smooth and tender texture, it is prone to breaking when fried. Later, I found that coating Japanese tofu with a thin layer of cornstarch before frying can greatly improve the result.
However, for the traditional recipe, firm tofu is still more recommended as it can absorb the sauce and withstand stir - frying.
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
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·200g soft tofu (cut into pieces)
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·200g minced pork
Additional Ingredients
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·1 red pepper (cut into sections)
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·2 cloves of garlic (sliced)
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·80g celery (cut into sections)
Seasonings
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·1 tablespoon of broad bean paste
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·1 teaspoon of salt
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·10ml of light soy sauce
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·5ml of dark soy sauce
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·1 teaspoon of oyster sauce
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·1 teaspoon of chicken essence
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·An appropriate amount of cooking oil (for frying and stir - frying)
COOKING STEP
Step 1
Pour an appropriate amount of oil into the pan. Cut 200g of tofu into pieces and put them into the pan. Fry until both sides turn golden brown, then take them out and set aside.
Step 2
Leave a little oil at the bottom of the pan. Add 200g of minced pork and stir - fry until fragrant and the color changes.
Step 3
Add the red pepper sections, garlic slices and 1 tablespoon of broad bean paste, and stir - fry until fragrant.
Step 4
Put in the fried tofu. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 10ml of light soy sauce and 5ml of dark soy sauce, and stir evenly.
Step 5
Pour in half a bowl of clear water and boil the sauce over high heat.
Step 6
Add 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of chicken essence and 80g of celery sections.
Step 7
Stir well and then you can serve it on a plate.
More recipes worth trying
Jade Tofu(Tofu with Vegetables)
Deliciously Nourishing Classic Choice: Fish Head Tofu Soup
Chinese Braised Cabbage with Tofu
Mistakes to Avoid
I've pretty much tried all the common mistakes that can occur when making this dish. Here are the key areas to avoid:
Failure to drain the moisture from the tofu: If you don't blot the surface water after cutting the tofu into pieces, oil splatters everywhere during frying and the tofu sticks to the pan. I usually wrap the tofu in kitchen paper and gently press it, or sprinkle salt on it half an hour in advance to draw out the moisture.
Putting the broad bean paste directly into the pan: If the paste isn't first fried in oil to bring out its aroma, it tends to taste bitter. The correct way is to first sauté garlic slices and chili peppers in hot oil, then add the broad bean paste and stir - fry over low heat until red oil emerges, and finally add the minced meat.
Flipping the fried tofu too frequently: Hastily pushing the tofu with a spatula as soon as it's placed in the pan will cause it to break up in the skillet. Wait until the oil starts to smoke slightly before putting in the tofu. Fry it over medium heat for 1 minute, then gently shake the pan. Flip it over when it can move freely.
Scrambling the minced meat into a lump: If the minced meat isn't loosened before being added to the pan and the heat is too low, it releases water and turns into a stew. After the oil is hot, turn to medium - high heat. Quickly scatter the minced meat as soon as it goes into the pan. Take it out as soon as it changes color to prevent it from becoming tough.
Overcooking the celery: If you simmer the celery together with the tofu, it will become limp and turn yellow. It should be added during the final sauce - reducing stage. Stir it twice and then turn off the heat. Let it finish cooking in the residual heat just until it's cooked through to maintain its crispness.
How to pair it
Quick - fix staple food options: Brown rice is a better choice than white rice. Its rough texture can hold onto the sauce. Alternatively, you can wrap the tofu and minced meat in lettuce leaves. It's refreshing and helps cut through the greasiness.
Essential refreshing vegetables:
• Boiled okra: Cut into sections and blanch for 1 minute. Drizzle with a little light salt soy sauce.
• Blanched asparagus: Peel the roots, steam for 3 minutes, and sprinkle with black pepper powder.
• Cold cucumber salad: Smash the cucumber, add garlic cloves and aged vinegar, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Simple soup options: The easiest one is tomato and enoki mushroom soup. Sauté the tomatoes until they turn into a pulp, add hot water, throw in the enoki mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil before serving.
Upgraded serving combinations for guests: After plating the tofu, sprinkle toasted pine nuts to enhance the aroma. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing. Replace the staple food with stir - fried rice noodles and drizzle with the sauce from the tofu as a dressing.
If you're packing a bento, it's recommended to put the tofu in a separate small box. Heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds before eating and then pour it over the rice. For side dishes, choose those that can keep well, such as marinated eggs or pickled lotus root slices, to avoid the discoloration of leafy greens overnight.
How to store leftovers?
This stir - fried tofu with minced meat goes really well with rice. Every time I make it, I always can't help but have an extra bowl of rice, so there are usually very few leftovers!
However, if there are actually leftovers, there's no need to worry. While it's still hot, put the leftovers into an airtight container. Let it cool down to room temperature and then refrigerate it. Don't keep it in the fridge for more than two days.
When reheating the next day, add a spoonful of water and stir - fry over medium heat for two minutes. Instead, the tofu will absorb more flavor.
FAQs:
2.Use a bit more oil. Put the tofu in the pan when the oil is warm.
3.Don't be in a hurry to flip the tofu while frying. Wait until the surface turns golden brown before touching it.
4.Use the spatula gently and flip it slowly.
Ask the butcher to mince the meat when buying it, or mince it at home by hand. This will give a better texture than using a meat grinder.
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