Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu

印尼釀豆腐

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — finished dish

Total time: 35 min
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Fried tofu pockets are filled with a cooled dry cabbage, carrot and bean-sprout mixture, dipped in thin rice-flour batter and fried again at 170°C until crisp.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

600 g firm tofu
120 g cabbage
80 g carrot
50 g bean sprouts
120 g plain flour
40 g rice flour
180 ml water
10 g garlic

Filling and batter seasoning

1 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Frying and stir-fry oil

750 ml neutral oil, divided between frying tofu and stir-frying filling

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — ingredients

02

Tools

Chef’s knife and two chopping boards
Wok and spatula
Whisk and large mixing bowl
Deep frying pan and oil thermometer
Draining rack and heatproof tongs
Probe thermometer
Clean deep serving plate
Clean kitchen towel

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — tools

03

Steps

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Reserve stir-fry oil and fry tofu

Step 1

Reserve stir-fry oil and fry tofu

Reserve 1 tsp from 750 ml oil for the filling, then fry dry tofu in the remaining oil at 170°C for 4 minutes until pale gold; drain on a rack.

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Cool and slit each tofu pocket

Step 2

Cool and slit each tofu pocket

Cool tofu 5 minutes, then cut one long slit in each piece without splitting the opposite side.

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Shred and drain the vegetables

Step 3

Shred and drain the vegetables

Shred cabbage and carrot finely; rinse bean sprouts and drain them completely.

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Stir-fry the garlic

Step 4

Stir-fry the garlic

Heat 1 tsp oil over high heat and stir-fry garlic for 20 seconds.

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Dry-fry cabbage and carrot

Step 5

Dry-fry cabbage and carrot

Add cabbage and carrot; stir-fry 2 minutes until wilted but no liquid pools in the wok.

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Add sprouts and seasoning

Step 6

Add sprouts and seasoning

Add bean sprouts, salt and white pepper; toss 45 seconds, then spread filling on a plate to cool.

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Cool and press wet filling

Step 7

Cool and press wet filling

Press cooled filling in a clean towel if it looks wet; dry filling prevents soggy tofu.

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Fill each tofu pocket loosely

Step 8

Fill each tofu pocket loosely

Fill each tofu pocket loosely with vegetables, leaving the opening clear for batter.

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Whisk a thin rice-flour batter

Step 9

Whisk a thin rice-flour batter

Whisk flour, rice flour, salt and cold water into a thin coating that falls in a ribbon.

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Reheat oil and fry in batches

Step 10

Reheat oil and fry in batches

Strain the tofu-frying oil and reheat it to 170°C; dip filled tofu briefly in batter and fry in small batches for 3 minutes.

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Turn, crisp and drain

Step 11

Turn, crisp and drain

Turn once and fry 2 minutes more until the batter is crisp and golden; drain on a rack.

Indonesian Tahu Isi Vegetable Tofu — Serve while crisp and warm

Step 12

Serve while crisp and warm

Serve immediately while the tofu shell is crisp and the vegetable filling remains warm.

Common mistakes

Cutting through tofu makes the filling fall out.
Wet sprouts make the pocket soggy.
Filling tofu too tightly splits the shell.
Cool oil produces greasy batter.

Tips

Cool and dry the filling before it enters tofu, otherwise steam softens the crust.

Keep the batter thin; a thick coating hides the tofu and stays doughy.

Fry in small batches at 170°C so oil temperature recovers between batches.