Sunday 6 October 2013

Spicy Beancurd


The theme on Little Thumbs Up is Soya Beans and that means we eat healthy this month! There are many soya bean products that we can work with like tofu, soya milk, soya bean paste, miso, tempeh (my favorite!) and even soya sauce. From savory dishes to desserts, the possibilities are endless with this very nutritious bean.



My dish for today comes from the book A Taste of Home by Andrew Kow. This Spicy Beancurd is a familiar dish in most Chinese restaurants. Not only is it simple to prepare but it is also very delicious. I love the combination of beancurd, meat and prawns in a spicy hot bean paste. Oh yes, two soya bean products in one dish!


The addition of cooking wine did a lot to enhance the flavor of this dish. When I dug in after the photo session, wow! I loved the taste and I will have to say that it tasted better than the ones I have eaten at some restaurants. Oh, oh! That's PH blowing her own trumpet again. No, no! Full credit goes to the recipe and not me. But never mind, you must try this dish and then you tell me if it tasted better than the one you had at the restaurant :)











Spicy Bean Curd
Recipe source : A Taste of Home (page 74)
(My notes and adaptations in red)

Ingredients :
- 2 boxes water bean curd (I used only one 250g box)
- 100g minced pork
- 100g shrimps
- 3 tablespoons spring onion dices
- 2 tubes Japanese beancurd
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic (I used 2 tbsp)
- some chopped ginger (I used 1 tbsp)
- some water

Seasonings :
- 2 tbsp chilli bean paste (doubanjiang)
- 1.5 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- some sesame oil (I used about 1 tsp)
- some Chinese cooking wine (I used 2 tablespoons)
- 1/2 tbsp pepper (I just added a dash or two)
- 2 tbsp light soya sauce

To thicken gravy :
- 1 teaspoon of tapioca flour mixed with some water.

Method :
1. Cut water bean curd and Japanese bean curd into pieces.
2. Heat up oil in pot, fry chopped garlic and ginger until fragrant.
3. Add minced pork and stir fry until meat changes color.
4. Add shrimps and stir fry until they change color.
5. Then add bean curds and seasonings and some water (not too much)
6. Stir gently to mix all ingredients well.
7. Braise until gravy is reduced and thicken with tapioca flour mixture.
8. Sprinkle spring onion dices and serve immediately.




Photobucket

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted by Mich of Piece of Cake.

52 comments:

  1. Oooh...can I have a bowl please ? This is so mouth-watering !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sure, Doris! Help yourself to a big bowl!

      Delete
  2. yum-yum I like this dish it looks so yummy can eat with 1 bowl of rice wish you can cook for me

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EE, very easy to cook. You can do it better than me :)

      Delete
  3. wow, so beautiful...I love that big pot ! we get lots of Ma Po Tofu here, but yours is another level!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, cousin! Mine turned out quite well, can challenge the one at the restaurant hee..hee...

      Delete
  4. Oooh spicy beancurd. Good combination. Must be delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amy, it is very good. Try it and you will love it!

      Delete
  5. Hi Phong Hong, so sorry you have not fully recovered from your back problem. Hope you get well soon. I'm also careful with my daily activities but sometimes I do suffer some discomfort [aging symptoms]. Must relax. You're very hardworking to cook up so many yummy dishes. Sometimes I do thought of doing less posting and blogging, just to relax for awhile.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kimmy, thanks. I think it will take a bit more time for me to recover fully. It is not as bad now as it was before. I still cook as it keeps me happy. You are more hard working than me. You update your post almost everyday :)

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Hah! Hah! Victoria, you should cook this tofu :)

      Delete
  7. Hi Phong Hong, this tofu dish is very inviting and delicious. Extra rice for me please to polish the gravy. LOL

    Have a nice week ahead.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Amelia! Yes, very good to "banjir" the rice with this spicy tofu. Can sweat while eating :) Have a great week ahead!

      Delete
  8. Hi Phong Hong, your tofu dish looks so appetizing! This dish alone is enough for me to eat with rice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lian! Yes, just the tofu and rice and you would be happy :)

      Delete
  9. Hi Phong Hong,
    This tofu dish sounds very flavourful! I can imagine having this with rice, looks very delicious. My egg tofu would go well with your "ma-po tofu" dish! Yum, yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Joyce! If I attempted your egg tofu, you can be sure it will be in pieces when I try to unmould it hah! hah! So no choice but to cook mapo tofu :D

      Delete
  10. Oooo...looks good. Is this bean curd month? Saw a bean curd dish at Baby Sumo's too. Maybe I can do my Foochow-style tofu soup... ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, yes! Looking forwards to your Foochow style tofu soup, Arthur!

      Delete
  11. Hi PH, it does look very appetizing. One big bowl of rice to go with this for sure :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yen, make that two big bowls of rice hee..hee...

      Delete
  12. Hi Phong Hong, very yummy and healthy tofu dish! Have a great day :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ivy! I enjoyed the tofu very much :)

      Delete
  13. I love this spicy bean curd dish, so yummy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Mich! It was very appetizing especially when I added some cili padi.

      Delete
  14. Hey Hey PH, I don't think you are blowing your own trumpet! I want to have that for my dinner now just by looking at your photos and reading your description! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Alvin! You can cook this tofu dish at home too. Bet the family would love it a lot but you need to tone down the spiciness for the kids :)

      Delete
  15. non uso di solito questi ingredienti (e faccio male!), ma sono sicura che mi piaceranno. Dovrò dedicarmi più spesso a questo tipo di cucina. Io uso molto i legumi, di solito lessi e conditi con olio. Ma mi piacerebbero nuovi sapori e condimenti. Peccato non poter assaggiare il tuo piatto! A presto

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ciao ragazzi! Credo che questo non è un piatto familiare in Italia. Se avete la possibilità di mangiare in un ristorante Cinese è necessario provare questo piatto.

      Delete
  16. I like this dish very much but must minus the chilli lah as I believe that my bottom will be on fire after eating one of these chilli, hehe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hee..hee...Jessie, but can have just a bit of spiciness lah if not then not so shiok!

      Delete
  17. Go ahead and toot your own horn! This looks scrumptious!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Liz! I shall toot toot away :D

      Delete
  18. Phong Hong, I love your spicy bean curd dish, love the spices and the beautiful robust flavor and spectacular color! xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Elisabeth! I bet you would love many helpings of this spicy tofu!

      Delete
  19. Hi Phong Hong,

    Tempeh is your favourite??? Being a tofu lover, I'm happy that Mich chose this theme but I have cook something to suit my meat-loving husband and son :p

    Your spicy beancurd looks yummy... my husband will be happy if I cook this but my spicy-intolerant son will complain... It's so hard to please everyone :(

    Zoe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Zoe! I am also happy with this month's theme. It is great that we can combine tofu with meat/seafood and they go so well together.

      Delete
  20. Hi Phong Hong, this looks really delicious! Would like to ask you what Chinese cooking wine did you use? The 白米酒 or 绍兴酒 ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jasline! Sorry, I can't read Mandarin :( I used Shiaoxing wine, the one commonly sold at the supermarket. Hope that helps!

      Delete
  21. I almost forgotten I have cooked the similar tofu dish and forgot to post it, right time to join LTU. Your version Nampak merah, saya suka!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sonia, I will check yours out and we can exchange hee..hee...

      Delete
  22. WOW! I LOVE this dish leh! I can eat the whole pot with nasi! But I tak boleh makan udang , then I use ayam. Boleh ke? Like the extra chilli topping ! Mouthwatering dish indeed ;)

    ReplyDelete
  23. i also just made a tofu dish from a book..infac t i think yours even sounds better with the douban sauce :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lena, I am looking out for your tofu dish!

      Delete
  24. another dish I will enjoy, myself :P

    ReplyDelete