Braised tofu with straw mushrooms is quick and still deeply flavored. The tofu is fried golden, the straw mushrooms stay firm and the braising liquid reduces to a glaze around every piece. The hardest part is frying the tofu golden enough while the inside stays soft, since over frying leaves it tough.
The part worth copying is marinating the fried tofu in the soy sauce mixture for a full 15 minutes. The seasoning works in from the outside, so the middle is not bland once the braising is done. It suits a quick lunch with hot rice.
This batch weighs about 1.1kg, at roughly 95 calories per 100g.
Method
Set a pan over the heat with 3 tablespoons cooking oil, and once it is hot fry the 2 pieces of tofu until golden on all sides, then lift out and cut into bite sized cubes.
Rinse 20g leek, mince the white base and cut the green tops into rounds. Rinse the red horn chili and chop it finely. Trim the dark stems off the straw mushrooms, wash them in salted water, drain, and halve the larger ones.
Mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce with 1 tablespoon chili sauce, 1 tablespoon vegetarian seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and the minced chili. Marinate the tofu in this mixture for 15 minutes.
Using the same pan the tofu was fried in, fry the leek base until fragrant, add 200g straw mushrooms and toss briefly, then add the marinated tofu and stir through.
Add about 1/2 bowl of water and braise over low heat until the liquid reduces to a glaze, then scatter in 1/3 teaspoon black pepper and the leek tops, stir and turn off the heat.
Tips
Marinate the tofu for a full 15 minutes before braising so it takes the soy sauce evenly.
Braise over low heat until the liquid reduces and thickens, which is what makes the dish savory.
Trim the dark base off the straw mushrooms carefully, since any left behind turns the pot gray.
Fry the tofu over medium heat, golden on all four sides, before cutting it into pieces.
Give the straw mushrooms only a quick toss, as long cooking draws water and thins the pot.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.