Braised Tofu

I like tofu, and they're vastly available in various preparation / style in Malaysia. The luxury of going out to order a nice tofu meal is not so easy (tofu in restaurants here are usually too dry) in Denmark. In fact, getting tofu was not so convenient for one often can only get it in Asian shop. I have one of those powder type that I can make into tofu cube but I've never try it yet.

Nevertheless, my desire for tofu is made easy when a local chain supermarket (Føtex) begins to put tetra pack tofu on their 'Exotic' food section. Not cheap but definitely convenient. To remove the soft tofu nicely from the box without any damage, simply cut the box opening per instruction & run a slim line of water through all 4 side gaps. Flip the box around, the water will 'wash' the tofu out, nice & square :)

Now what do I do with the tofu? Well, I found a nice one - Braised Tofu in Wine Sauce

Ingredient:-
500g firm tofu
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 slices ginger
green spring onion cut into 2.5cm pieces (volume per personal preference)

Sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chinese rice wine
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
slurry made from 1tsp cornstartch & ½ cup water

Method:-
1. Cut tofu into 5cm square x 1cm thick slices. Drain on paper towels.
2. Mix together teh sauce ingredients while the tofu is being dried.
3. Heat oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan. When oil is hot, add tofu & pan fry until golden brown on one side, then turn tofu over & fry the other side. Remove tofu from the pan.
** Tofu contains a lot of water in them & can easily cause a lot of splashes. Keep the heat moderate and use long long long spatula :)
4. Add garlic, ginger & green onions to the pan and fry till fragrant (there should be about a tablespoon oil left in pan after the frying).
5. Add sauce in & stir well to combine.
6. Add the tofu back into the pan & 'submerge' the blocks into the sauce.
7. Cover the pan & lower the heat. Braise for 3-5minutes. Serve.