Egg tofu is really fiddly to cook with because it is just so soft. That’s also what makes it so darn tasty. To ‘harden’ up the tofu, it is often fried to give it up a bit of a crust. It is then more easily added into dishes without fully disintegrating. This dish is a stalwart of modern Chinese restaurants and I haven’t made or eaten this in a long time until fairly recently.
The family of one of our good friends owns a lovely Chinese restaurant and she had invited us there for her daughter’s first birthday. A full 10-course Chinese banquet ensued with many dishes, including this one, being served. I enjoyed all the dishes but especially enjoyed this one. Every Chinese restaurant does it slightly differently. You may choose to add in some shiitake mushrooms or bamboo shoots to jig it up a little. The recipe I have provided is a plain base for you to make your own mark on.
Serves 2 (approx. 326 calories per serve)
Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 20 mins
Ingredients
Marinade
100g pork mince
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp Chinese rice wine
Sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
Other ingredients
250g egg tofu, sliced to 1-2cm thickness
1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for pan frying
2 garlic cloves, minced
2cm piece of ginger, minced
200ml water
1 spring onion, sliced
Note: I used a wok for this stir fry but it works perfectly fine with a non-stick pan such as this.
Marinade the pork mince with soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, white pepper and Chinese rice wine and set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix through the sauce ingredients (corn starch, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and oyster sauce).
Pan fry the egg tofu until they are golden brown. Drain and set aside on a paper towel.
Heat the oil in a pan or wok and sautee the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
Add the marinated minced pork and sautee until cooked through.
Add the water and the sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.
Gently add the fried tofu slices and let it simmer for a few more minutes.
Garnish with spring onion and serve with rice.
Step by Step Video
More Tofu Recipes
- Hot and Sour Soup
- Quick Tofu Stir Fry with Bean Sprouts
- Pumpkin, Tofu and Green Beans Red Curry
- Easy Crispy Tofu Steaks with Soy Sauce Drizzle