How To Make Pipa Tofu (Chinese Fried Tofu Balls)
Learn how to make this delicious Chinese tofu dish shaped like pipa, a Chinese musical instrument. They can be deep-fried, pan-fried, or steamed.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Yield
- 15 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 450 gr firm tofu
- 200 gr shrimp (shelled, deveined )
- 150 gr ground pork
- 50 gr carrot
- 3 shiitake mushrooms (finely minced)
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tbsp chopped green onion
- 2 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch (or more as needed)
- Cooking oil (for brushing the plate and spoon)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- Cooking oil (for deep frying or pan frying)
- 3 Tbsp rice flour
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Liquid from steaming the pipa tofu
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water
- Vegetables of your choice: broccoli, bok choy, etc
Instructions
- 1
Mash the tofu with a fork. I put this over a strainer and squeeze out any excess water. I don't recommend using soft or silken tofu they have more liquid and will make the tofu balls too soft to handle
- 2
Place the tofu, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, egg white in a food processor and process into a paste consistency. Stir in the cornstarch, chopped green onion, cilantro leaves, and the seasonings. Stir to mix everything. If the paste is a bit too soft or watery, you may add a bit more cornstarch
- 3
Lightly brush the Chinese soup spoon and a steaming plate with some cooking oil. Lightly grease your palm with a bit of cooking oil too. Scoop the tofu paste with the spoon and use your fingers to mold the paste into the spoon to shape like a pipa. Gently slide it off the spoon onto a steaming plate you will use for steaming later. Continue to do so until you run out of tofu paste
- 4
Prepare your steamer by bringing the water to a boil. Place the steaming plate with pipa tofu in the steamer. Steam over high heat for 5-7 minutes. I steamed mine for 7 minutes
- 5
Remove from the steamer and you will see some liquid is pooling on the plate. Pour the liquid into a bowl. We will use it to prepare the sauce later
- 6
If you do not want to pan fry or deep fry, you are done here and proceed to prepare the sauce step. Proceed to next step if you want to deep fry or pan fry the steamed pipa tofu
- 7
Mix the rice flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Stir to mix. Preheat about 2 1/2 inches of oil for deep frying. If you choose to pan fry, preheat about 4 Tbsp of cooking oil in a pan
- 8
Coat the steamed pipa tofu with the flour mixture and deep fry or pan fry until golden brown on all sides. Place on absorbent paper towel and continue to fry the next batch
- 9
Preheat about 1 tsp of oil in a pan or skillet. Add garlic and stir fry for about 10 seconds. Pour in the liquid from steaming pipa tofu followed by the rest of the ingredients for sauce. Bring it to a simmer. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch with water and pour into the simmering sauce and stir until the sauce thickens
- 10
Arrange pipa tofu on a serving platter with some blanched vegetables and then pour the sauce on top and serve immediately with rice