RECIPE: STIR FRIED BEAN SPROUTS, CHINESE CHIVES AND FRIED TOFU IN FISH SAUCE

A simple and nutricious way to enjoy bean sprouts, chinese chives and tofu.


Ingredients

500g bean sprouts
½ packet fried tofu puffs – cut into triangles using scissors
1 bunch Garlic/Chinese chives – cut into 4 cm lengths
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 small onion – sliced
1 fresh red chilli sliced or 2 to 3 dried chillies torn into pieces – optional (see my GLOSSARY post on CHILLIES)
Few splashes of light soy sauce
Few splashes of Thai fish sauce
Few drops of sesame oil
Salt to taste (optional)
Oil


Method

In a wok, heat some oil and sauté the garlic and onion for 10 secs. Add in the tofu and chillies and cook for 1 min.

Add in the sprouts and chives and toss to cover with all the ingredients. Add some soy and fish sauce and cook for about 2 to 3 mins only. You want your bean sprouts to remain crunchy. Check seasoning.

Add a few drops of sesame oil, mix well, lift and serve hot with rice as an accompaniment to a meal.

RECIPE: SILKEN TOFU AND CHAMPIGNON MUSHROOMS IN SPICY OYSTER SAUCE

I just love tofu although none of my family members share the passion. Not that it matters, I can eat a whole dish by myself! To give my tofu a slight edge, I like to combine it with some chillies. I find ‘bird’s eye’ chilli to be the best in this dish.

Ingredients

1 packet silken tofu – cut into 2 cm cubes and place in a colander to drain the excess liquid
2 cloves garlic – chopped finely
1 to 2 spring onions – sliced finely
2 shallots (I used the bulbs of salad onions this time)
6 to 8 bird’s eyes chillies – sliced finely
Champignon mushrooms – 1 used ½ of a large tin
2 to 3 tbsp oyster sauce (see my glossary post on OYSTER SAUCE)
1 to 2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp oriental sesame oil
2 tbsp veg oil

Method

In a wok, heat oil and sauté the garlic for 1 min. Add in the sliced mushrooms, fry for 30 secs, then add in the onions and chillies. Fry for 30 secs. Season with a few splashes of soy sauce.

Next add in the tofu and oyster sauce. Mix well, ensuring that you don’t ‘break’ the tofu in the process. Add in the remainder soy sauce and cook until the tofu is heated through. Before lifting, add in the spring onions and sesame oil. Lift and serve immediately with rice.

NB: This is a great meal for vegetarians. You can buy ‘vegetarian’ oyster sauce from most oriental grocers. Vegetarian oyster sauce is usually made from mushrooms. It is normally sold as Vegetarian oyster sauce, Mushroom oyster sauce or Vegetarian stir fry sauce. Lee Kum Kee makes a nice version of the sauce.

RECIPE: SILKEN TOFU WITH SOY, CHILLI AND SPRING ONIONS

Ingredients
1 block silken firm tofu
1 tsp mushroom soy sauce*
1 tbsp light soy sauce*
1 tbsp chinese cooking wine*
½ tsp caster sugar*
2 small red chillies – thinly sliced on an angle
2 spring onions – thinly sliced on an angle
1 small coriander plant – thickly chopped
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp sesame oil

Method
Remove excess water from the tofu packaging and carefully tip the tofu onto a plate ined with paper towels. Cover the top with paper towels as well and let drain for 30 mins. You may need to change the towels at the halfway mark.

Mix all * ingredients in a bowl.

Place a pair of chopsticks to form a cross at the base of a large wok (to act as a rack) and bring to boil about 7 cm of water in it. Cut the drained tofu into 8 to 10 square pieces, place onto a heatproof plate and place onto the makeshift rack in the wok. Pour in the sauce mix and steam for 10 mins.

Carefully remove the plate and sprinkle the chillies, spring onions and coriander. Heat the peanut oil and sesame oil until smoking and pour over the tofu. Serve immediately with rice.

RECIPE: MA PO TOFU (TOFU WITH MINCE MEAT IN HOT BEAN SAUCE)

Today we had Ma Po Tofu for dinner with stir fried choy sum. My version of this dish is slightly hotter than the versions you get from Chinese restaurants. To make it milder, just omit the dried chillies and lessen the hot bean paste. Here’s my take on the dish.

Ingredients
500g minced pork or chicken
6 large silken tofu – cut into 2 cm cubes and placed in a colander to drain
6 dried shitake mushrooms – soaked in water to soften, drained and sliced thinly
3-4 spring onions – sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic – chopped fine
6-8 dried chillies – torn into two (I left the seeds intact) - optional
1 cup chicken stock* (I diluted 1 heaped tsp Knorr chicken stock in 1 cup hot water)
2-3 tbsp chinese dark soy sauce*
2 tbsp chinese light soy sauce*
2 tsp corn flour diluted in 2 tbsp water
4 tbsp hot bean sauce (I use Yeo’s Brand)
Few drops sesame oil
2 tbsp veg oil

Method
Mix * in bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in wok under medium flame and fry garlic and dried chillies if using. When chillies have turned brown, add in the mushrooms and fry for about 30 secs.

Add in the mince, raise the heat to high and stir fry for about 3 to 4 mins. Ensure that you separate the mince evenly. You don’t want to have clusters of meat.

Add in the bean paste and fry for about 1 min, coating the mince evenly. Add in the stock mixture and cook for about 2 to 3 mins. Add in corn flour.

Stir and add tofu, cook for about 1 to 2 min, to ensure that the tofu is heated through. Be careful as not to break the tofu while stirring. Add spring onions and sesame oil. Remove from heat and serve with rice.

RECIPE: STIR FRIED BEAN SPROUTS AND TOFU

This dish is so easy to make that I feel quite embarrassed to put it on the web. But to those who think that sprouts are only used for salads, here’s a chance to try cooked bean sprouts.

Ingredients
1 bag of sprouts – tailed (the tails look ugly and really spoils the presentation of the dish, so make an effort and tail them)
1 bunch of Chinese chives – cut into 4 cm lengths (optional)
2-3 cloves garlic – minced
1 small onion – sliced (optional)
2-3 tbsp oyster sauce
2-3 tbsp light chinese soy sauce
Some prawns, chicken or fish balls/cake if you want to make it a main meal – I did not put anything as it was to accompany a chicken dish.
Semi hard tofu - drained and cut into cubes
Few drops of sesame oil
1 tbsp oil

Method
Heat oil in work on high and add garlic. If you are using seafood or meat, add it to this stage and fry till the meat is cooked. Add tofu. If not using seafood, fry the garlic for 15 secs, add onion and fry another 15 secs. Add in the tofu and fry till slightly golden or till heated through.

Add in sprouts, mix well and add in the chives. Mix well again. Add in both sauces, stir throughout and cook for only 1 min or so as you want the sprouts to remain crunchy. Add in sesame oil, remove from heat and serve with rice. Easy peasy!