Stuffed Tofu in Black Bean Sauce
Stuffed Tofu in Black Bean Sauce is a flavorful and filling main dish to serve with rice. Tofu is fried until golden, then stuffed and simmered in a savory sauce.
If you enjoy my silken tofu in black bean sauce or stuffed eggplant in black bean sauce, I think you will like this recipe too. It is very straightforward to make, and you can prepare it in 30 minutes with only one pan.
Ingredients
Below are the main ingredients you will need for this stuffed tofu recipe.
(1) Tofu: you will need to use firm tofu. Soft or silken tofu will be too delicate to stuff the filling – save it for soups, stews, or steamed tofu recipes.
(2) Filling: I have made this dish using ground pork or fish paste. I prefer ground pork since it is more readily available, and the filling will turn out juicy. If you use fish paste, the filling will have a springy texture.
(3) Fermented black beans: these tiny beans (known as douchi in Chinese, or tร u xรฌ in Vietnamese) are full of salty and umami flavors. You can buy them at Asian grocery stores or order online from Amazon or The Mala Market.
(4) Aromatics and seasonings: you will also need some garlic, ginger, scallion, oyster sauce, and soy sauce (either regular or light soy sauce).
How to Make Stuffed Tofu in Black Bean Sauce
Our cooking process will start with slicing the tofu and frying them until both sides are golden. It usually takes a few minutes each side, so you can utilize the wait time to mince the aromatics and prepare the filling.
Once the tofu slices are golden, remove from the oil and let them cool enough to handle. Then make a horizontal slit in the middle but do not cut all the way through. Now you can add the filling to the tofu pocket. I stuff the tofu with ground pork filling in the photos.
If you are wondering whether you can stuff the tofu before frying, the answer is yes. However, it can be a bit trickier because the tofu may break more easily. Besides, it takes time to fry the tofu until golden, and as a result, the filling may become too dry.
Now sear the stuffed tofu with meat side down for a couple of minutes until it is browned. After that, we’ll move on to making the black bean sauce.
To make the sauce, first, sautรฉ all the aromatics until fragrant. Then add the black beans and continue to sautรฉ until you can smell the fragrance.
Next, add the seasonings and water. Then simmer the tofu in the sauce for several minutes to soak up the flavors. We will also thicken the sauce with some cornstarch slurry so that it can cling onto the stuffed tofu.
Finally, garnish the dish with some chopped scallion and serve hot with rice. I hope you will give this stuffed tofu recipe a try and add it to your Asian dinner rotation.
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Stuffed Tofu in Black Bean Sauce
Ingredients
For the Stuffed Tofu
- 1 lb firm tofu
- cooking oil
- 6 oz ground pork (or fish paste)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons thinly sliced white part of scallions
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced white part of scallions
- 2 tablespoons fermented black beans
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3/4 cups plus 1 1/2 teaspoons water, divided
- 1 1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced green part of scallions (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Cut tofu into 1-inch thick slices and pat dry. Heat a generous amount of oil in a shallow frying pan. Once the oil is hot, add tofu and fry until both sides are golden, flip once. It may take 3-4 minutes each side. Transfer to a wired rack or a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Don't wash the pan yet.
- While frying the tofu, place ground pork in a mixing bowl. Add the minced garlic, white part of scallion, salt and pepper in the "For the Stuffed Tofu" section to the bowl. Mix to combine, then set aside.
- Let the tofu cool down enough to handle. Use a paring knife to make a horizontal slit in the middle but do not cut all the way through. Add the ground pork filling to the tofu pocket.
- Discard most of the oil in the pan, leaving enough to coat the bottom generously. Place over medium heat to heat the oil, and then add the stuffed tofu meat side down. Sear for a couple of minutes until the meat side is browned. Remove the tofu and set aside.
- Wipe the pan clean, and then add a small amount of oil to coat the bottom. Heat over medium heat and when the oil is hot, add minced ginger. Sautรฉ for about a minute until fragrant.
- Add minced garlic and white part of scallions to the pan and continue to sautรฉ briefly until fragrant. Then add fermented black beans and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add oyster sauce and soy sauce and stir well. Then add ยพ cup water and bring the sauce to a rapid simmer. Dissolve cornstarch in the remaining 1ยฝ teaspoons water and slowly pour it into the pan while stirring.
- Add stuffed tofu to the black bean sauce and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes to soak up the flavors, flip once. The sauce will also thicken. Adjust the seasonings and thickness to your liking. Stir in the toasted sesame oil if using.
- Transfer stuffed tofu along with the sauce to serving plates. Sprinkle with green part of scallions. Serve right away with steamed rice.
Nutrition
Is there a good substitution for the ground pork so that it can be veganized?
Wow l love it