Quick & Easy Chinese Braised Tofu
Fried tofu braised in a luscious gravy with colorful vegetables! This quick and easy Chinese braised tofu is a tasty main dish ready in 30 minutes! It's better-than-takeout saving you money. I share how to deep fry or shallow fry the tofu.
Ingredients
- 1 lb tofu medium firm (or sub with firm to extra-firm tofu)
- 1 crown broccoli cut into florets
- 1 ½ cups carrot sliced
- 1 ½ cups snap peas ends trimmed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cup water cold
- vegetable oil or any neutral oil
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
- 3 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegetarian stir-fry sauce
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine or dry sherry wine or chicken stock for a non-alcoholic version
- 1 cup water cold
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
Instructions
- Carefully pat dry the block of tofu with clean paper towels to remove excess moisture. Slice the tofu block into half lengthwise and then slice each half into ½-inch thick pieces or squares. Gently transfer the sliced tofu (with the help of a large knife) to a large flat plate without a lip.
- In a small bowl, combine stir-fry sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- Choose ONE cooking method below:To Deep Fry Tofu: Heat 2 cups or 500 ml vegetable oil in a large pan or wok on medium heat to 350 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Lower the plate of tofu as close to the pan as possible and gently slide the tofu squares, a few at a time, off the plate into the hot oil with a spatula. Fry tofu on both sides until golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside. Remove the fried tofu with a slotted spoon and transfer them onto a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil and set aside.To Shallow Fry Tofu: Heat ⅓ cup or 80 ml vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Lower the plate of tofu close to the pan and slide the tofu squares into the pan one at a time. Fry them until golden on both sides and soft on the inside. Remove and transfer tofu to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.
- Remove most of the vegetable oil in the pan, reserving 1 teaspoon or 5 ml of in the pan. Increase to medium-high heat and add garlic, carrots, broccoli florets, and snap pea followed by ½ cup or 125 ml cold water. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until they've softened and most of the water has evaporated.
- Gently toss back in fried tofu and add the remaining cold water. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Reduce to medium heat. Pour in the prepared stir-fry sauce and gently toss with the other ingredients.
- Increase to medium-high heat to thicken the sauce. Once it's thickened to your desired consistency, transfer the dish to a large serving plate and enjoy!
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Suggested Equipment & Products
Nutrition
Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 915mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 8557IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 7mg