Tofu Hot Pot – Sort of (เต้าหู้อบหม้อดินแปลง)

 

Bob is not very keen on tofu – but I like it if it is cooked in the right ways. Tofu is bland so it will need other strong flavour or flavours to go with it. I used to go to one particular Thai restaurant on Bondi Beach in Sydney when I lived in Australia many, many years ago. They did Laarb Tofu (Spicy Tofu Salad Thai Style) which was very yummy. Hot Pot Tofu is another favourite of mine – I don’t have any Chinese clay pot so I use my cast iron casserole instead. The recipe below is ample for one hungry person as a complete meal or just enough as light meal for 2 without rice accompaniment.

150 - 200 grams chicken meat, sliced or chopped roughly

350 grams medium firm Tofu (mine comes in a packet of two blocks and 1 block is around 370 grams), cut into bite size pieces

70 grams button mushrooms, sliced

70 grams broccolini or broccoli, chopped into chunks

1 spring onion, cut into 3 or 4 lengths and julienned lengthwise

2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced

2 slices root ginger, chopped or minced

4-5 teaspoons of corn flour

½ cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Salt and pepper (you might not need the salt)

A few drops of sesame oil

Oil for frying

Heat the oil in deep frying pan for shallow frying. Pat dry tofu pieces and dredge them in corn flour (preserve the left over to thicken up the sauce later) and fry on medium high heat until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.

 

Par-boil or steam broccoli until just cooked but still crispy. Heat a little bit of oil in the casserole and fry garlic and ginger until fragrant, add chicken to brown. Add sauces, stir to combine then add mushrooms and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and add broccoli. Mix the remaining corn flour with a little bit of water and add the mixture to the pot/casserole. Stir quickly to combine and add a few drops of sesame oil, if the sauce becomes too thick just add a little bit more water, adjust the taste, add salt if needed. Add fried tofu and cover the pot with lid, turn the heat down and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Transfer to the plate and garnish with pepper and slice spring onion. Bon appétit.