A savory and irresistibly delicious Chinese dish (豆豉烧豆腐) with pan-fried tofu, soy sauce, fermented black beans, and aromatics like garlic and scallion. Vegan and gluten-free.
the ingredients:
- firm tofu
- aromatics: scallion, garlic, dried chilies
- fermented black beans
- red bell pepper
- a sauce mixture of soy sauce (sub tamari for gluten-free), Shaoxing wine, ground white pepper, sugar, cornstarch, and water
The secret ingredient in this dish is fermented black beans (douchi). The dried wizened beans are pungent, funky, and deeply salty, little nuggets of umami that taste like soy sauce and fish sauce in solid form and add intense savoriness to this dish. You can find fermented black beans in any Asian grocery store (sold in 12-16oz packages) or online.
first step: prepare the tofu.
Press tofu to drain water, then pat dry and cut into ¼ inch thick slices. Heat a non-stick pan or wok over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons oil to coat the surface.
When oil is hot, add tofu in a single layer and fry until crisp and golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan. Repeat again for all remaining tofu slices.
next, prepare the sauce.
In a small bowl, whisk together the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, white pepper, sugar, cornstarch, and water.
last step: stir-fry.
With the pan over medium heat, heat the remaining oil. Toss in minced garlic, chilies, white parts of scallion, and fermented black beans, sautéing until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add chopped red bell pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes until tender. Add fried tofu and green parts of scallion; give the sauce a stir and pour it into the pan as well, tossing and stirring everything with a spatula until sauce is thickened and tofu is well coated. Taste and season with additional salt, if needed. Remove from heat and enjoy!
tips for making this recipe:
- Be sure to press out the moisture from the tofu before pan-frying (see notes below). You also want to add a generous layer of oil into the pan and heat it to a hot temperature before adding the tofu, to prevent sticking and to achieve a nice golden brown surface.
- You can substitute black bean garlic sauce in place of the dry fermented black beans. Note that the jarred sauces usually contain other ingredients so the black bean flavor won’t come through as strongly, but they will work in a pinch.
- I used red bell pepper but feel free to add any veggies you like, including broccoli, green bell pepper, sliced carrots, fresh bean sprouts, garlic chives, etc for a colorful stir-fry. (If you increase the amount of vegetables substantially I would double the soy sauce/add more white pepper and sugar, to taste.)
more tofu recipes:
If you made this recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and a rating below. Or tag me on Instagram @hannah__chia, I love seeing your re-creations!
Follow me on Pinterest and save this recipe for later!
Print📖 Recipe
Pan-Fried Tofu with Black Bean Sauce (豆豉烧豆腐)
A savory, delicious Chinese dish with pan-fried tofu, soy sauce, fermented black beans, and aromatics like garlic and scallion. Vegan and gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 12
- Cook Time: 8
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 1 14 oz block of firm tofu, pressed*
- 2-3 tablespoon cooking oil
- 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, white and green parts divided
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 dried red chilies, de-seeded
- 2 tablespoon dried fermented black beans, soaked briefly in water and drained*
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (sub tamari if gluten-free)
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp water
- ¼ tsp salt, or as needed
Instructions
- Press tofu to drain water, then pat dry and cut into ¼ inch thick slices. Heat a non-stick pan or wok over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons oil to coat the surface. When oil is hot, add tofu in a single layer and fry until crisp and golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan. Repeat again for all remaining tofu slices.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, white pepper, sugar, cornstarch, and water.
- With the pan over medium heat, heat the remaining oil. Toss in minced garlic, chilies, white parts of scallion, and fermented black beans, sautéing until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chopped red bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add fried tofu and green parts of scallion; give the sauce a stir and pour it into the pan as well, tossing and stirring everything with a spatula until sauce is thickened and tofu is well coated. Taste and season with additional salt, if needed. Remove from heat and enjoy!
Notes
- *To press tofu, wrap tofu block in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Place something heavy on top (like a cutting board topped with a book) to allow the water-logged tofu to drain, for at least 10 minutes.
- *Chinese fermented soybeans (douchi) are sold in 12-16 oz packages for a few bucks each and can be stored indefinitely in the fridge. You can find them in pretty much any Asian grocery store or online.
- You can substitute black bean garlic sauce in place of the dry fermented black beans. Note that the jarred sauces usually contain other ingredients so the black bean flavor won’t come through as strongly, but they will work in a pinch.
Ash says
Delicious! We added half a head of broccoli and tripled the amount of sauce to account for that amount. We also added an extra tablespoon fermented black beans and one tablespoon yacai. Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
4fqPjp7N says
522215 703316I undoubtedly did not realize that. Learnt something new today! Thanks for that. 265689
Mario says
Thank You Hannah!
This recipe is delicious and deceivingly complex in flavor. I highly recommend it. The fermented black beans are big flavor bombs. I owe the compliments I received for this dish to you. I can’t wait to try other recipes on your well crafted website.
Thanks again and Happy Tiger Year!