Feeling like going vegetarian for dinner?
Try this tofu dish. With its thick sauce, rich flavor and the aroma of sesame seed oil, you won’t miss your meat.
I saw an old National Geographic episode recently that featured tofu. I learned that there are hundreds of varieties of this nutritious food. A staple in Chinese cuisine, tofu, or fermented soy bean curd is rich in protein. In the Philippines, it is known as tokwa. Firm varieties are good for stir-frying; the softer varieties like silken tofu is good for soups and puddings. By itself, tofu is almost tasteless. Its versatility lies in its capacity for absorbing the flavor of any ingredient mixed with it.
Ingredients :
1 cake of tofu, cut into 2″ x 2″ cubes
1/2 c. of cooking oil
1 c. of water or broth
1 tbsp. of minced garlic
1 onion, halved then sliced
1 hot chili pepper, optional
2 tbsp. of oyster sauce
2 tbsp. of dark soy sauce
1 tbsp. of sugar
1 tbsp. of cornstarch
ground pepper, to taste (you may not need to use ground pepper is using hot chili pepper)
1/2 tsp. of sesame seed oil
How to :
In a small bowl, mix together water, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and ground pepper.
Heat skillet or wok. Pour in cooking oil and heat until it starts to smoke. Pan-fry tofu cubes, turning them over when the underside browns. Drain on paper towels.
Remove but 1 tsp. of oil in skillet or wok. Reheat and saute garlic and chili pepper, if using, for about 30 seconds. Add onion slices and cook for 15 seconds. Pour in water-sauce-cornstarch mixture, stirring briskly to avoid lumps. When sauce starts to thicken, return tofu cubes to skillet and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour sesame oil. Stir a few times. Serve hot.
hi connie
We had this for dinner yesterday and it turned out to be a really cool dinner cos my mom hates tofu but yesterday was an exception as amazingly she was eating tofu and told me to put this menu in our weekly list.Salamat talaga.Kaya nga everytime I want to cook something with whats available sa refrigerator, I consult first your website..
More recipes please and God Bless you…
This is the best tofu recipe I’ve ever tried. Browning it really improves the flavor and texture.
My husband loves to tofu. He loves it when he tasted this recipe. Thanks!
On a scale of 1-5, I give this a 5. It’s really a crowd pleaser. Through, I did some omission to suit my taste. I omitted the sesame oil part. Sesame oil is a tad too strong for me, it masks the already wonderful flavor of the thick sauce. You mentioned to use broth/stock. I tried using chicken and pork, and I found out that chicken worked best, it complemented the sauce better and heightened the gustatory satisfaction. Sarap!
Oh, I’m so glad you all enjoyed it.
The taste is great! My wife tried cooking this recipe and I am really satisfied. I even told her to cook it in the next family gathering. Now that I am away from my family to work, I went to a Filipino store to buy the ingredients and cook it myself.
my youngest daughter loved to eat tofu and this one is great.
Excellent recipe! i’m excited to experiment with this recipe by trying to add some mushrooms, toasted sesame seeds, and some greens like scallions. yummm….
Hi Connie! Thanks for sharing your recipes. I loved this one! Like Mathew, I’m excited to try adding other ingredients like fish fillet and green onions and maybe add a dash of rice wine
Thanks and God bless you and your family always.
Thank you Ms.Sassy for this recipe.Ngayon ko lang nakita yung categories sa recipe archive,madalas kasi I hop from one recipe post to the next.Ang sarap kasi ng recipes mo!
Wow! I’ve tried the recipe, and it was good
My mom and sisters loved it! Next time, I’ll add more ingredients. I’ll check out other recipes, marami pa sigurong masarap. Thanks po. Ü
I cooked this today, and it’s yummy! Not to mention cheap and healthy! It’s gonna be on our regular menu from now on.:)
… and how is this vegetarian?
If you have to ask, then, it’s really useless to explain.
While not vegetarian (the oyster sauce [duh] keep it from being vegetarian) it’s still a tasty dish. I added spinach to mine to mimic a dish I had at a restaurant recently.
It is vegetarian — it just isn’t vegan. Duh.
Please do not serve this to a vegetarian. As Alice pointed out, vegetarians do not eat animal flesh or derivatives thereof, a category which includes oyster sauce. If you want to make this vegetarian, use a mushroom based mock oyster sauce, as I plan to do when I make this for dinner later.
Wow, you really ought to check the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan.
Thanks a lot for this.. Now I have a new recipe for tofu. Be tryin’ this tonight. My daughter just loves tofu.. Thankieeesss ulit
hi atty connie! i cooked this dish yesterday as my baon. It was so good. my officemates loved it too. thanks!