Braised Tofu with Pili Nuts and Carrots
Always practice something and master it. Baking a cake, preparing an omelet
,slicing vegtables a lot more. Filipinos are greatly influenced with different cultures like western, european and mostly asian traditions. This week's dish-Braised Tofu with Pili Nuts and Carrots is easy and fun to prepare. Very asian with a twist of sweet, salty and sour taste plus the addition of Pili nuts. The best thing in culinary and baking is that you get to eat while making recipes.
Tofu is made from water-soaked white soy beans ( can be dark soy beans too) and coagulant.There are ramarkable tofu makers in many parts of China, Japan and Philippines. It has
quite a number of market forms like soy milk, silk tofu( delicate and creamy-type), I used medium-firm for this recipe, firm variety can hence be used for making tofu-pockets ( with rice inside, fresh seeweeds, soy sauce,salt, sugar and honey-YUM:) These days people from different parts of the world makes awesome flavored and texture tofu. Yes, believe it or not there are a lot of tofu-fusions, savory and sweet treats. Isn't it exciting discover the many uses and wonders of tofu. I will be featuring more recipes on this, in the meantime you may practice with me. This video has an audio insruction or voice over. Happy Cooking!
You will need:
Large non-stick pan
steamed rice to enjoy with tofu
or a good batch of pre-boiled ramen
600-800 grams of medium- firm tofu, sliced in rectangles with 1-inch width
1/8 cup cooking oil for pan-frying
For the breading:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 pieces eggs, beaten
salt to taste
white pepper to taste
2 cups breadcrumbs
For the sauce:
reserved oil from tofu pan frying
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons garlic, chopped
3/4 teaspoon carrot strips
1/8 cup light soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Pili Nuts,chopped coarsely
2 Tablespoons sweet and sour chilli paste
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white sugar ( optional)
1 cup water or chicken or pork broth
.
Prepare the breading by placing ( F.E.B.) FLour ,eggs, breadflour in separate bowls. Dredge each tofu reactangle in an orderly manner in the "F.E.B." using one hand for the dry and the other with your other hand to avoid each finger from getting messy. Pan fry breaded tofu in heated vegetable oil until light golden brown. Frying is a skill, it is a challenge to even out the color when using an extra- large non-stick pan but you'll get to master it. This creates a crusts that blends well with the sauce. Braising is searing your breaded tofu ( can be meat) in fat and cooking it again with sauce. Fry over medium high heat but not too
low to avoid the tofu from sucking up all the fat from frying. That is why there's such this as frying temperaute which can be technically 350F-375F, using oils that has low smoke point like peanut oil, vegetable oil. Fry each side for 40 seconds turning sides. Set aside
To preapare the sauce. Use the same pan with the reserved frying oil, add in sesame oil. Saute onions until it turns translucent. Add in garlice and stir.Do not toast the garlic to avoid bitter taste. The the carrots and cook until just aldente "firm but not soggy". Bringing out the flavor of the vegetables is the most essential step in making any dish. This is the best time to practice your cooking skills:) Then add in the soy sauce, saute in with the vegetables over low heat,add in the chilli paste, sugar,salt and white pepper. Then add in water or broth and simmer until lighly reduced. Spoon over prepare sauce over the fried tofu, and
cook or braise with the tofu. Yummy, serve with steamed rice or pre-cooked ramen.
Let me know about your version of this recipe. Thanks for reading and watching this video:)
BRAISED TOFU with PILI NUT AND CARROTS VIDEO HERE https://youtu.be/VHsmpJ4wv9I
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