Vegetarian dishes are always a popular choice for those wanting a light meal while still ensuring it is delicious and nutritious. Today, the Cooking section of TasteVN will guide you on how to make vegetarian braised tofu with char siu and young watermelon that is extremely appealing and tasty. Let’s get cooking right away.
1. Braised tofu with char siu
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised Tofu with Char Siu For 3 people
Tofu 400 gr Coconut water 200 ml Char siu sauce 1 tablespoon Char siu powder 1 teaspoon Five spice powder 1/2 teaspoon Honey 1 tablespoon Sesame oil 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 7 tablespoons Soy sauce 2 teaspoons Annatto oil 1 tablespoon Chopped shallots 2 tablespoons Garlic powder 1 teaspoon Seasoning/ pepper a little
Information about ingredients
- Char siu sauce is a sauce used to make char siu meat, moreover, char siu sauce or char siu powder can also be used in vegetarian dishes.
- The five spice powder, which includes: Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and nutmeg, is commonly used in Chinese cuisine.
Products like char siu sauce for vegetarian dishes and five spice powder are widely available at TasteVN stores nationwide or on the e-commerce site bachhoaxanh.com.
How to prepare Braised Tofu with Char Siu Sauce
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Fry the tofu
Cut the tofu into square pieces.
Place a pan on the stove, heat 5 tablespoons of cooking oil, add the cut tofu and fry until golden and crispy, then remove and drain the oil.
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Make Char Siu Tofu
Marinate the tofu with 1 tablespoon of char siu sauce, 1 teaspoon of char siu powder, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon of five-spice powder, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of annatto oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
Heat a pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and sauté 2 tablespoons of minced shallots until fragrant. Then add the tofu and stir well for about 3 minutes.
Add 200ml of coconut water to the pan, simmer the tofu until it boils, then reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes until done.
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Final Product
Serve the dish on a plate, you can decorate with some herbs, chili or tomatoes to make the dish look more appealing and attractive.
This char siu braised tofu dish is simple but you can enjoy it with hot rice or bread, and it will be very delicious. Ensure that everyone in the family will praise your cooking skills.
2. Braised Tofu with Young Watermelon
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised Tofu with Young Watermelon Serves 3
Tofu 4 pieces Young watermelon 400 gr Shallots 3 bulbs Garlic 5 cloves Spring onions 2 stalks Chili 3 fruits Cooking oil 7 tablespoons Color water 2 tablespoons (Coloring sauce) Common spices a little (salt/ seasoning powder/ sugar)
What is Young Watermelon?
- Young watermelon are fruits that are usually cut off so that the plant can focus on nurturing other sweet fruits.
- Since it has not fully developed, young watermelon has a white flesh.
- You can find young watermelon at watermelon gardens or agricultural markets, e-commerce sites for 15,000 – 20,000/ kg.
How to Cook Braised Tofu with Young Watermelon
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Fry the Tofu
Place a pan on the stove, heat 5 tablespoons of cooking oil, and add the tofu to fry on high heat for 4 minutes, remember to turn the tofu to ensure it is evenly golden.
Once fried, remove the tofu and let it drain.
Then, cut each piece of tofu into 3 parts.
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Prepare the ingredients
Young watermelon bought should have the skin and rind removed. Then soak it in salt water for about 5 minutes, rinse thoroughly, drain, then cut it in half and slice each young watermelon into 4 pieces.
Shallots and garlic should have their skins removed, washed clean, then crushed and minced. Peel, wash, and finely chop green onions. Wash the chili and chop it small.
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Stewed Young Watermelon and Tofu
Place a pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and sauté the chopped onion, garlic, half of the green onion, and half of the chili.
Once the ingredients are fragrant, add 500ml of water to the pan, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of coloring sauce, then stir well to dissolve the seasonings.
Once the sauce is boiling, add the watermelon. When the watermelon starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the tofu.
After stewing for another 5 minutes, add the remaining chili and green onion on top, then turn off the heat.
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Final Product
The dish has an appealing color and aroma from the young watermelon and the spices.
When eating, you can feel the soft, creamy, delicious taste of the tofu, along with the crunchy, refreshing taste of the watermelon. This dish is sure to not disappoint you.
How to choose good tofu
- A piece of good tofu will have an ivory white color, not yellow from gypsum.
- You should buy tofu that feels light and soft when held. If it feels heavy, firm, slightly hard, and too square, then you should not buy it as it contains a lot of gypsum.
- Real, pure tofu has a characteristic aroma, while tofu containing gypsum will have a faint lime smell or no smell at all.
- Additionally, to ensure safety and convenience, you can make tofu at home.
With detailed instructions for making 2 delicious and attractive vegetarian vegetarian tofu stews, you will have more dishes to enrich your vegetarian meals. Wishing you success in making the dish!
*Refer to the recipe and images from the YouTube channel Cô Tư’s Kitchen and EASY DELICIOUS DISHES
