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Hakka stuffed tofu with mushroom filling
Kèjiā niàng dòufu (客家酿豆腐): golden tofu squares filled with shiitake and water chestnut, braised in a savoury sauce
In Meizhou, the heart of Hakka country in east Guangdong, tofu stuffed with a meat filling is one of the dishes everyone expects at a family meal or a New Year table. Buddhist Hakka cooks fill it with mushroom, water chestnut and tofu instead, and that vegetarian version is given here. The squares are fried stuffed side down until crisp, then braised briefly so they soak up the sauce. Serve with rice and a plate of greens. Chef's tip: dust each hollow with cornflour before filling; it works like glue and stops the filling falling out.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the tofu
For the filling
For the braising sauce
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Squeeze 6 dried shiitake mushrooms dry over the soaking bowl, cut off the stalks and chop the caps finely. Keep 200 ml of the soaking water, poured off carefully to leave the grit behind.
Step 2: With a teaspoon, scoop a hollow about 1.5 cm deep from the top of each 1 ⅓ lb firm tofu square. Mash the scooped-out tofu in a bowl.
Step 3: Add the shiitake, 6 water chestnuts, ½ carrot, 2 spring onions, half the ½ tbsp light soy sauce, ¼ tsp ground white pepper, ¼ tsp salt and 1 tbsp of 1 tbsp cornflour to the mashed tofu. Mix until it holds together when pressed.
Step 4: Dust the hollows with the remaining 1 tbsp cornflour and press the filling in firmly, mounding it slightly. Common mistake: hollowing too deep, which makes the walls tear in the pan.
Step 5: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Lay the tofu in filling side down and fry for 4 minutes without moving, until the filling is crusty and golden. Turn and fry the base for 3 minutes.
7 minStep 6: Mix the mushroom water with the remaining ½ tbsp light soy sauce, 1 ½ tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce (mushroom-based) and ½ tsp sugar and pour around the tofu. Cover and simmer gently for 8 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by half and the tofu is heated through.
8 minStep 7: Lift the tofu onto a plate. Boil the sauce for a minute until glossy, stir in 1 tsp toasted sesame oil and spoon over.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hakka stuffed tofu with mushroom filling take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
- What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
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