Black bean tofu 'mein'
Parts of this tofu chow mein represent good luck and fortune – noodles for longevity and the golden tofu cubes for ingots of gold. A delicious vegan stir fry for Chinese New Year.
Ingredients
For the golden tofu
- 400g/14oz firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into 2cm/1in cubes
- 120²µ/4½´Ç³ú cornflour
- 2 pinches sea salt
- 2 pinches ground white pepper
- pinch dried chilli flakes
- 300ml/10fl oz rapeseed oil, for frying
For the saucy stir-fry
- 1 pack Taiwanese ‘Dao Shiow Mein or any other wide noodles
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp peeled and freshly grated ginger
- 1 medium red chilli, seeds removed, finely choppedÌý
- 1 bird’s-eye chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tbsp fermented salted black beans, rinsed and crushed
- 1 tbsp yellow bean paste (or miso paste)
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 green peppers, cut into 15mm pieces
- 350ml/12fl oz vegetable stockÌý
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp cornflour
To serve
- 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
- 1–2 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
Method
To make the golden tofu, mix together the cornflour, sea salt, white pepper and dried chilli flakes ingredients in a bowl. Drop the tofu pieces into the spiced cornflour mixture and gently toss so that all the pieces are coated completely.
Pour the rapeseed oil into a heavy-bottomed pan and heat to 180C, or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 15 seconds. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Gently add the tofu pieces to the hot oil. If your pan is large enough you can add it all in one go and shallow fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown and crispy. Carefully remove and drain on kitchen paper. Don't worry if some of the pieces stick together.
To make the saucy stir fry, cook the noodles in a large pan of boiling water for 3–5 minutes, then drain and rinse them in cold water to stop them cooking. Set aside for later.
Place a wok over a high heat and add the rapeseed oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the garlic, ginger and chillies and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the black beans and yellow bean paste (or miso) and stir quickly, then pour in the rice wine (or sherry) and the green peppers and stir-fry for a further minute. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Season with the 2 types of soy sauce.
Mix together the cornflour with 4 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl. Add this to the stir-fry and stir to thicken. Gently add the cooked noodles and toss to coat. Lastly add the golden tofu and gently toss to coat, keeping the ingredients moving in the wok for a further minute.
To serve, put the red chilli in a small bowl with the soy sauce. Divide the tofu noodles between 4 bowls, garnish with the spring onions and serve with the soy sauce chillies. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
You can buy ready fried tofu, but this method shows how to get it really crisp.
