Braised Tofu and Mushrooms
Braised Tofu and Mushrooms is a comforting Chinese-style tofu dish made with crispy tofu, savory mushrooms, and a rich umami sauce.
Ingredients
For the tofu
- 1 package soft tofu, cut into small blocks
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the clay pot
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil, divided, or other cooking oil
- 10 slices carrot
- 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 bunch white beech mushrooms,
- 3 slices ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/2 stalk scallions, minced
For the sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce, or regular oyster sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ tablespoons water
Instructions
- To prepare the tofu, in a large bowl, whisk the salt into the water until dissolved. Gently add the tofu blocks and soak for about 10 minutes. Remove the tofu and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- To make the sauce, in a bowl, whisk together the water, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and vegetarian oyster sauce until smooth. Set aside.
- To pan-fry the tofu, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Carefully add the tofu pieces and pan-fry for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown.
- To stir-fry the vegetables, in a wok over high heat, add the remaining cooking oil. Stir-fry the carrot, ginger, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and white beech mushrooms for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- To combine and thicken, pour the sauce into the wok and bring to a boil. Return the tofu to the wok and gently toss to coat evenly. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 1 ½ tablespoons water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the wok and cook until the sauce thickens.
- To serve, transfer everything to a preheated clay pot and top with the scallions. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Salted soaking: Soaking the tofu in salted water helps firm it up while drawing out excess moisture, making it less likely to break during cooking.
- Dry thoroughly: Patting the tofu dry before frying helps create better browning and reduces oil splatter.
- Don’t rush the flip: Let the tofu develop a golden crust before turning to prevent sticking and crumbling.
- Use medium heat: Medium heat allows the tofu to brown gradually without falling apart.
- Hot wok first: A properly heated wok helps the vegetables stir-fry quickly while staying vibrant.
- Clay pot bonus: Serving the dish in a clay pot keeps it hot longer and creates a beautiful restaurant-style presentation.
- Protein swap: This same braising sauce also works beautifully with chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, or eggplant.