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.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lb tofu (medium firm (or sub with firm to extra-firm tofu))
- 1 crown broccoli (cut into florets)
- 1 1/2 cups carrot (sliced)
- 1 1/2 cups snap peas (ends trimmed)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 1/2 cup water (cold)
- vegetable oil (or any neutral oil )
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce (or vegetarian stir-fry sauce)
- 2 tbsp regular soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine (or dry sherry wine or chicken stock for a non-alcoholic version)
- 1 cup water (cold)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (or potato starch)
Instructions
- 1
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 1/2-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.
- 2
In a small bowl, combine stir-fry sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- 3
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 1/3 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.
- 4
Remove most of the vegetable oil in the pan, reserving 1 tsp or 5 ml of in the pan. Increase to medium-high heat and add garlic, carrots, broccoli florets, and snap pea followed by 1/2 cup or 125 ml cold water. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until they've softened and most of the water has evaporated.
- 5
Gently toss back in fried tofu and add the remaining cold water. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
- 6
Reduce to medium heat. Pour in the prepared stir-fry sauce and gently toss with the other ingredients.
- 7
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!