Stuffed Tofu (Yong Tau Fu 釀豆腐)

You’ll never get bored eating our Hakka-inspired Stuffed Tofu! While it may take a little more time to make than other side dishes, every minute is worth it. You’ll be rewarded with juicy porky patties nestled in a variety of flavors and topped with a thick savory sauce!

A dish that gets the whole family involved

Grandma ALWAYS asks to make Stuffed Tofu together. Like wrapping wontons, it’s a fantastic bonding experience that gets the whole family involved from beginning to end.

Whether it’s preparing the vegetables, stuffing them with filling, cooking each one through or making the sauce, there’s opportunity for everyone to get in there.

It’s especially important to preserve recipes like these. Many dishes that involve extra love, time and care like noodle soups are being lost. Sadly, the modern fast-paced world doesn’t always accommodate for meals that take a good few hours to make involving the whole family.

Yet it’s those recipes that really take me back to the heart and soul of childhood memories.

So in an effort to preserve our family’s most treasured dishes, here are the reasons why you need to try our Stuffed Tofu:

• We use a wide variety of seasonal produce. Not only do you get different tastes, but you’ll be able to enjoy a whole load of textures too.
• The sauce generously glazes over the vegetables to tie every flavor together. It’s thick, savory and finger-lickin’ good!
• There’s a balanced spring to every bite. Since we use both pork mince and fish paste, you’ll get to enjoy a perfectly juicy and springy mouthful.

Another plus side is that you can stuff WHATEVER you like – capsicum, zucchini, pumpkin flower, you name it.

So here’s my advice: Prepare yourself for a world of possibilities!

How to choose the best ingredients

Grandma has a few tips to ensure that your Stuffed Tofu makes the most of the seasonal produce:

• Tomatoes – Go for the medium-sized firm ones. They’ll be cooked and need to retain their shape.
• Eggplant – Ideally, choose ones that are heavier. This doesn’t necessarily mean bigger, though! If you compare two that have a similar size and there’s one that’s heavier, chances are it has more flesh.
• Bittermelon – If you prefer bittermelon less bitter, take the advice Grandma gave from her Canh Khổ Qua (Stuffed Bittermelon Soup) and find ones with longer grooves.
• Shiitake mushrooms – Look for thinner and smaller ones so that you can really taste the filling. Fresh or rehydrated will work.
• Chili – Just like have we buy them for our Bún Mắm (Vietnamese Fermented Fish Noodle Soup), ideally they’re straight and thick so it’s easier to stuff them.
• Tofu – Opt for the fried or firm ones. They’ll need to hold their shape as they’re stuffed and pan fried.

As a rule of thumb, our family likes everything for our Stuffed Tofu on the smaller side because it’s easier to eat and cook with. But choose what suits your preference!

Why this recipe works

• Using a mixture of ground pork and fish paste gives the filling a delicious meaty spring.
• Pan frying ensures the meat is seared until golden brown without compromising on the shape and flavor of the vegetables.
• Classic Chinese ingredients are mixed in the sauce for an authentic savory flavor.

What you’ll need

Ingredients to be stuffed

About the ingredients

We get everything from our local Asian supermarket, but you can use what you have available. You can also adjust the ratios to your preference. For example, if you don’t like bittermelon then replace it with another ingredient that you like.

For the filling

About the mince

Grandma likes to hand pick her meat cut from the butcher and ask them to put it through the mincer twice. For this Stuffed Tofu recipe, we used lean pork. If you find there is leftover filling, you can save it to use in your next Asian pork mince recipe.

For the sauce

About the substitutions

Use a stock as a water substitute for extra flavor. As for the potato starch, if you don’t have any, corn starch will work too.

How to make this recipe

Mix together the mince, fish paste, pepper, salt, water, sesame oil, fish sauce and chicken bouillon powder in a bowl, then set aside for later.

To prepare the tomatoes, cut them in half along the width and gently squeeze each piece to remove any excess liquid. Then use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds and lay them open side down in a colander.

Note: This step will reduce the amount of water in the tomatoes. If there is too much liquid, the filling may not stick as easily.

For the eggplants, you will need to cut them into segments so the meat can be sandwiched in between. To do so, make a cut about 1cm (0.4″) from the tip that goes halfway through the eggplant.

Repeat the cut another 1cm (0.4″) in from the first incision but slice it all the way to break the piece off. What you’ll end up with is a piece of eggplant that can be opened in the middle like a mouth for the filling.

When preparing the tofu, make an incision in its center about 3cm (1.2″) long and 1cm (0.4″) deep to act as a pocket for the mince.

Note: Every tofu brand will make their tofu differently, so just make the cut big enough for the stuffing without breaking anything.

Slice the bittermelon into 1.5cm (0.6″) thick slices, then use a small thin knife to remove the center. Simply cut around the softer paler flesh and push the middle out to create a hole for the filling.

Finally, run a knife from the top of the chili to the bottom until it can be opened. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds.

To stuff all of the ingredients, use the back of a teaspoon to scoop the meat mixture. Then wedge it between the slits or gaps and smooth it out.

Note: The amount of filling you use is entirely up to personal preference, but we like to use less so it cooks faster.

Fill a wok or pan up with enough oil to cover the base, then pan fry the Stuffed Tofu ingredients on medium heat until the filling is golden brown. Cooking times will vary depending on vegetable, but you’re looking at roughly 10-15 minutes per batch.

Refill the oil as the vegetables absorb it.

Tip: Put the mince side down first so it cooks through before flipping.

Meanwhile, combine the water, chicken powder, sugar, light soy sauce and oyster sauce in a pot over medium heat and bring it to a gentle simmer.

Mix the potato starch with 4 tbsp water and slowly pour it in while stirring the sauce.

Serve the sauce with the Stuffed Tofu immediately while still hot!

Recipe FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Cook the ingredients with strong flavors last. Bittermelon and chili should be kept last to avoid cross-contaminating the taste.
• Use less filling at the start. Different vegetables will have varying sizes, so stuff them with less mince at the beginning until you’re sure there’s more left.
• Don’t overstuff. Not only does this prolong the Stuffed Tofu cooking time, but the filling gets heavy and it makes it harder for it to stick to the vegetables.

Make it a Chinese feast!

• Curry Fish Balls (咖喱魚蛋) are the perfect way to get the family’s appetite going.
• Our Stuffed Tofu will go well with Braised Chicken Wings and Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce, Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蒸排骨) and some Crispy Rainbow Beef (牛柳丝).
• Throw in a side of greens with our Stir Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic.
• A bowl of Chinese Watercress Soup (西洋菜汤) will warm every belly up.
• Then finish it all off with our Hashima Dessert Soup (雪蛤膏糖水)!

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