Tofu in oyster sauce

Feeling like going vegetarian for dinner?

Try this tofu dish. With its thick sauce, rich flavor and the aroma of sesame seed oil, you won’t miss your meat.

I saw an old National Geographic episode recently that featured tofu. I learned that there are hundreds of varieties of this nutritious food. A staple in Chinese cuisine, tofu, or fermented soy bean curd is rich in protein. In the Philippines, it is known as tokwa. Firm varieties are good for stir-frying; the softer varieties like silken tofu is good for soups and puddings. By itself, tofu is almost tasteless. Its versatility lies in its capacity for absorbing the flavor of any ingredient mixed with it.

Ingredients :

1 cake of tofu, cut into 2″ x 2″ cubes
1/2 c. of cooking oil
1 c. of water or broth
1 tbsp. of minced garlic
1 onion, halved then sliced
1 hot chili pepper, optional
2 tbsp. of oyster sauce
2 tbsp. of dark soy sauce
1 tbsp. of sugar
1 tbsp. of cornstarch
ground pepper, to taste (you may not need to use ground pepper is using hot chili pepper)
1/2 tsp. of sesame seed oil

How to :

In a small bowl, mix together water, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and ground pepper.

Heat skillet or wok. Pour in cooking oil and heat until it starts to smoke. Pan-fry tofu cubes, turning them over when the underside browns. Drain on paper towels.

Remove but 1 tsp. of oil in skillet or wok. Reheat and saute garlic and chili pepper, if using, for about 30 seconds. Add onion slices and cook for 15 seconds. Pour in water-sauce-cornstarch mixture, stirring briskly to avoid lumps. When sauce starts to thicken, return tofu cubes to skillet and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour sesame oil. Stir a few times. Serve hot.

In the mood for more food?

1. Cucumber and coconut smoothie
2. Choco-mocha-cinnamon pudding
3. Fish lumpia (spring roll) with gata (coco milk)
4. Chicken in sour cream
5. Isdaan Restaurant at Gerona, Tarlac
6. Chili garlic shrimps with coriander paste and Kecap Manis
7. Crepes and cheese
8. Vietnamese barbecued pork with garlic and egg fried rice
9. Beef embutido
10. When tofu met pesto

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