RECIPE

Mom’s Tofu

October 14, 2020
Edited to correct typos on March 17, 2021
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Tofu is a staple food I grew up eating. It is an essential ingredient for many Asian cultures. My mom has incorporated this soybean-based product into many everyday home cook dishes. The classic steamed fish-tofu, steamed minced meat on tofu, and tofu papaya fish soup are some examples that I grew up eating in Hong Kong. But out of all the tofu dishes my mom cooked for us as children, there is only one dish that we still make almost twice a month.

These bite-size tofu are saucy, chewy on the exterior and soft, spongy in the centre. I have no idea if there’s a proper name to this dish. My sister and I refer it as Mom’s tofu. It is probably one of our favourite home dishes. For my Mom’s Tofu, we like to use medium-firm or firm tofu. The more firm the tofu, the easier it is to pan-fry and bake.

There is a large variety of tofu available in most Asian markets. The most common types found in the markets are usually sorted by firmness. There’s silky, soft tofu, great for Korean Soondubu Jjigae or Chinese Tofu Fa (pudding); medium tofu for Sichuan Mapo Tofu; medium-firm or firm tofu for Japanese deep fried Agedashi Tofu. Above mentioned tofu variety are usually made with soybean pressed into blocks, to be eaten fresh. However, there are many other types of tofu, varying from the forms – tofu sheets, dried tofu, yuba, etc. – to the types of beans used – Burmese chickpea tofu, hemp, peanut, and every other bean you can think of!

Tofu is a staple food I grew up eating. It is an essential ingredient for many Asian cultures.

It is an essential ingredient for many Asian cultures. My mom has incorporated this soybean-based product into many everyday home cook dishes. The classic steamed fish-tofu, steamed minced meat on tofu, and tofu papaya fish soup are some examples that I grew up eating in Hong Kong. But out of all the tofu dishes my mom cooked for us as children, there is only one dish that we still make almost twice a month.

These bite-size tofu are saucy, chewy on the exterior and soft, spongy in the centre. I have no idea if there’s a proper name to this dish. My sister and I refer it as Mom’s tofu. It is probably one of our favourite home dishes. For my Mom’s Tofu, we like to use medium-firm or firm tofu. The more firm the tofu, the easier it is to pan-fry and bake.

There is a large variety of tofu available in most Asian markets. The most common types found in the markets are usually sorted by firmness. There’s silky, soft tofu, great for Korean Soondubu Jjigae or Chinese Tofu Fa (pudding); medium tofu for Sichuan Mapo Tofu; medium-firm or firm tofu for Japanese deep fried Agedashi Tofu. Above mentioned tofu variety are usually made with soybean pressed into blocks, to be eaten fresh. However, there are many other types of tofu, varying from the forms – tofu sheets, dried tofu, yuba, etc. – to the types of beans used – Burmese chickpea tofu, hemp, peanut, and every other bean you can think of!

Mom’s Tofu

Yield: 3 – 4 servings
 
INGREDIENTS

Tofu Ingredients

  • 1 package (453g) of medium-firm or firm tofu
  • 1 tbsp of neutral-tasting oil (canola or vegetable)

Glaze Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp of gluten-free oyster sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee’s Panda Oyster Sauce, glass bottle with green lid)
  • 1 tsp of tamari (I use San-J Organic Tamari)
  • 1 tsp of dry sherry or Shaoxing wine* (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp of sesame oil 
  • 1/2 tsp of sugar

* Shaoxing wine’s main ingredient is sweet rice, however, wheat may be added for the fermentation process. Personally, I have not experienced allergic reaction to the it. If you very zero tolerant to wheat/gluten, to be 100% safe, please use dry sherry or omit this ingredient.

 
INSTRUCTIONS

Tofu Preparation

  1. Cut the tofu into the size of your preference. I like to cut into about 1.5-in to 2-in cubes or tiles.
  2. Place the tofu pieces in a colander. Using a plate as weight, place it on top of the tofu and let it gently press out some of the liquid. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
  3. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
  4. Choose one of the following cooking methods:
    1. Mom’s Method
      1. Over medium-high heat, heat up 1 tbsp of neutral tasting oil in a medium sized pan.
      2. Place the tofu pieces gently into the pan and fry them until golden brown. The darker they turn, the chewier the tofu surfaces gets. Watch out for splatters, especially if the tofu is not well drained.
    2. Phoebe’s Method
      1. While the tofu is being pressed, preheat oven to 400ºF.
      2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
      3. Place the tofu pieces onto the prepared baking sheet. Lightly coat the tofu pieces in neutral tasting oil.
      4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes to allow the surface to form a chewy, but soft skin. Bake it longer, up to 30 minutes, for a chewier texture. Flip them halfway during baking.

Glaze

  1. Transfer the cooked tofu pieces into a clean plate when they are done frying/baking.
  2. In a medium-sized pan (or use the same pan if you used Mom’s method) over medium, pour in the mixed sauce. Let the mixture slowly heat up and cook until it thickens into a glaze. Turn off the heat.
  3. With the pan still hot on the stove, add in the tofu pieces and even coat them in the glaze.
  4. Plate and serve with fresh steamed rice!
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