Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Braised Tofu with Tomato
鮮茄煮豆腐
Recipe overview
Tomatoes form a light sweet-tangy sauce around gently browned firm tofu. The tofu is nudged rather than repeatedly turned so it stays intact.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 500 g tofu
- 400 g tomato
- 2 clove garlic
- 1 stalk spring onion
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 120 ml water
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- to taste salt
02
Tools
- knife
- cutting board
- kitchen paper
- small bowl
- frying pan
- spatula
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Drain tofu
Drain tofu on kitchen paper for 5 minutes and gently pat the surface dry.
Step 2
Cut tofu
Use a thin knife to cut tofu into even pieces about 2 cm thick.
Step 3
Cut tomatoes
Core and cut tomatoes into wedges, keeping their juice.
Step 4
Prepare garlic and onion
Mince garlic and slice spring onion, separating whites from greens.
Step 5
Mix sauce
Mix soy sauce, sugar and 100 ml of the water.
Step 6
Brown first side
Heat oil over medium heat and cook tofu in one layer for 3 minutes without moving it before a crust forms.
Step 7
Turn tofu gently
Turn each piece with a thin spatula, cook 2 minutes more and transfer to a plate.
Step 8
Sauté garlic
Sauté garlic and spring onion whites in the same pan for about 30 seconds without burning.
Step 9
Cook tomatoes
Add tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until juicy but still chunky.
Step 10
Braise tofu
Return tofu, pour in the sauce, cover and cook for 4 minutes; nudge gently instead of turning hard.
Step 11
Lightly thicken
Mix cornstarch with the remaining 20 ml water, add gradually around the pan and nudge for 1 minute; taste before adding salt.
Step 12
Garnish and serve
Add spring onion greens and lift tofu with a spatula onto the plate with tomato sauce.
Common mistakes
- Repeatedly turning the tofu makes it break apart.
Tips
Keep some tomato chunks so the sauce tastes fresh rather than like ketchup.
