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
Scale
- 1 14 oz block of firm tofu, pressed*
- 2-3 tbsp 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 tbsp dried fermented black beans, soaked briefly in water and drained*
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
Sauce:
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (sub tamari if gluten-free)
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp salt, or as needed
Instructions
- Press tofu to drain water, then pat dry and cut into 1/4 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.