Easy Steamed Tofu (蒸豆腐)
Silky tender tofu is steamed then drizzled with a fragrant aromatic oil and a rich sauce that is savory and sweet. It’s a beautiful hot appetizer that is simple and surprisingly satisfying. Serve it as a light meal with steamed rice or as part of a multi-course dinner. {Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable}
Ingredients
- 1 block (1 lb / 450 g) soft tofu , drained and sliced into 1/2” (1 cm) thick pieces
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce (or oyster sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
Aromatic oil
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 green onions , thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 dried chili peppers
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn (or black pepper)
Instructions
Steam Tofu
- Prepare the steamer by adding 2” (5 cm) water to the pot and heat over medium-high heat until brought to a boil.
- Arrange the tofu on a plate that can fit into your steamer with as little overlap as possible. Place the plate onto the steaming rack.
- When the water is boiling, add the steaming rack. Steam covered for 6 minutes. Once done, carefully remove the plate from the steamer (*Footnote 1). Let the plate cool off for a few minutes. Then tilt the plate to drain off as much water as you can.
Sauce
- While cooking the tofu, mix the light soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, sugar and salt together in a small bowl.
Make aromatic oil
- When the tofu is ready, heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chili peppers, garlic, ginger, a small amount of the green onion (*Footnote 2), and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir a few times until the chili peppers turn dark red. Immediately pour the oil with everything evenly over the tofu. Then pour the mixed sauce over the tofu.
- Serve warm or at room temperature as an appetizer, or over steamed rice as a main dish.
Notes
- If the plate is too hot and difficult to remove from the steamer, place the steaming rack over a coaster to cool first. You will need to wear a pair of oven mitts if the plate is still hot. Or you can use one of those plate lifters to remove the hot plate from the steamer.
- Adding some green onion to the hot oil creates a better taste, however the dish looks nicer with some raw onions for garnish. If you do not like the raw taste of the green onions, use a bit more of them in the oil.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 81kcal, Carbohydrates: 4.6g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 4.3g, Saturated Fat: 0.6g, Sodium: 264mg, Potassium: 184mg, Fiber: 0.6g, Calcium: 136mg, Iron: 2mg