Dong Gu Dofu
(Chinese braised tofu with mushrooms)
Image by opencage.info
This simple vegetarian stir fry is a good wintertime dish. Tofu is paired with meaty shiitake mushrooms in a salty-sweet gravy.
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- Water or stock -- 1/2 cup
- Soy sauce -- 1/4 cup
- Hoisin sauce -- 2 tablespoons
- Hot bean paste (chile paste) -- 2 to 3 teaspoons
- Sugar -- 2 teaspoons
- Rice wine or dry sherry -- 2 tablespoons
- Salt -- to taste
- Cornstarch -- 1 tablespoon
- Oil -- 2 to 3 tablespoons
- Scallions, sliced into 1/4" pieces on the diagonal -- 3 to 4
- Button mushrooms, quartered -- 1 cup
- Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water, destemmed and cut in strips -- 4 to 6
- Firm tofu -- 2 pounds
Method
- In a medium bowl, mix together the water or stock, soy sauce, hoisin, hot bean paste, sugar, rice wine or sherry, salt and cornstarch to prepare sauce. Adjust seasoning to your taste and set aside.
- Heat the oil over high flame in a wok or large pot. Add the scallions and stir fry until just heated through. Add the mushrooms and continue to stir fry for 2 to 3 more minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Give the sauce a good stir and add to the mushrooms and scallions. Stir in well and bring to a simmer to thicken.
- Fold in the tofu gently and let simmer until heated through. Add a little stock or water if the sauce becomes too thick. Serve with rice.
Dong Gu Dofu Variations
- Use a variety of mushrooms to get a full flavored dish.
- Add 2 tablespoons of minced garlic when you stir fry the scallions.
- One to two tablespoons of Szechuan pickled vegetables can be added along with the scallions if you like. Soak them for 5 minutes in hot water first.
