Bean Curd Home Style Meat Free And Delicious Recipes

BEAN CURD HOME STYLE: MEAT-FREE AND DELICIOUS

Steps:

• Boil the rehydrated bean curds in water for about 10 min (or according to the package instructions).
• Mix soy/ doubanjiang sauce, honey, chili flakes, pepper, garlic, and ginger in a separate bowl.
• Pat the boiled curds dry and cut them into 2-in long strips.
• Bring the sesame oil to medium heat in a frying pan or wok. Add the curd strips and fry for 2-3 min, until lightly golden. Then add the spice mix and bamboo shoots and fry for another 2-3 min, until fragrant. Done, the home-style tofu is ready to serve!

BEAN CURD SZECHUAN-STYLE (MA PO DOFU)

Steps:

• Cut bean curd into .5-inch cubes, place in a colander and leave to drain for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl blend the marinade: 1 tsp of soy sauce, sherry, and sweet bean or hoisin sauce; add pork and stir to coat.
• Stir in 1 tsp of the oil and marinate for 15 minutes.
• Heat a wok or wide frying pan over high heat.
• When pan is hot, add remaining veg oil.
• When oil begins to heat (i.e. passes the "water droplet test" where a sprinkling of water thrown into the oil starts to crackle--careful here) add ginger and garlic.
• Stir once, then add pork and stir-fry until meat isn't pink any more, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in hot bean sauce (lajiaojiang or tobanjan).
• Add drained beancurd, the water and the 2 Tbsp soy sauce.
• Simmer for 3 minutes, then add green onion.
• Re-mix cornstarch and water with a fork, add to pan and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens (this happens very quickly).
• Sprinkle with crushed szechuan peppercorns just before serving.
• Serve over large mounds of hot white rice.
• I have served this along with some stir-fried Chinese broccoli (gai lan) seasoned with a little oyster sauce, or some baby bok choy stir fried with a little sesame oil.
• For a vegetarian version, this recipe also works if you omit the meat.
• You could also try using some kind of veggie sausage, like Morningstar crumbles, in place of the pork.

HUNAN BEAN CURD IN HOT MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Marinate the pork in a mixture of the white wine and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch for a few minutes.
• Then fry in a hot wok containing the vegetable oil.
• Cook for just a moment, and then add the bean curd cubes.
• Add the hot bean sauce, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, peas, and hot pepper oil or cayenne.
• Stir-fry for about 1 minute.
• Add the chicken broth and optional salt, and stir over high heat until mixture comes to a boil.
• Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch mixture.
• Garnish with the black pepper, scallions, and sesame oil.
• Serve hot.

STEAMED BEAN CURD WITH SOY SAUCE

Steps:

• Steam tofu over gentle heat for six to seven minutes to warm the tofu (I always use the rice cooker to steam the tofu while the rice is cooking); remove and set aside.
• Heat oil in a wok, fry ginger, garlic and shallots till crisp and golden.
• Remove but leave the oil in the wok.
• Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and bring to boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer until sauce thickens slightly; pour hot sauce over tofu.
• Top with the crisp garlic, ginger and shallots, and finally the garnishing ingredients, serve immediately.