By Carmel Karni — See the recipe
Broccoli and Tofu Stir Fry
I wanted to create a veggie-full stir fry that the kids would love. I took inspiration from The Woks Of Life Sesame Chicken recipe flavors and veered off from there. It’s mostly a matter of preparing all your elements — aromatics, veggies, tofu and sauce. After you have those the dish comes together in minutes. I like to get Chinese oyster sauce and light soy sauce for this dish. They do taste differently than the Thai oyster sauce and Japanese soy sauce that are more prevalent in super markets. Portland has great Asian markets that have (almost) everything you ever need for a stir fry and other Asian dishes. We are also lucky to have Ota Tofu, who make insanely delicious tofu. If you live in Portland, go buy your tofu fresh from them. So good!
Tofu
- 1 package firm tofu
- About ⅓ cup cornstarch
- Salt
- 4 TB vegetable or other neutral oil, divided
Sauce
- ¾ cup water
- 2 TB brown sugar
- 2 TB oyster sauce
- 1 TB Shaoxing wine
- 1 TB light soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp white pepper
Stir fry
- 2 heads of broccoli
- 2 TB neutral oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
- 1 thai pepper, sliced thinly (or more, to taste)
- 4-5 scallions, whites chopped fine, greens chopped in 1 inch segments and set aside
- small heads of bok choi, chopped in 1 inch segments (optional
Slurry
- 1 ½ tsp corn starch
- 2 TB water
Directions
For the tofu: Cut the tofu into ½-inch-thick slices, then cut them into 1- to 1½-inch triangles or rectangles. Place paper towels on a plate, lay the tofu in a single layer on the paper towels, and cover with more paper towels. Place another plate face-up on top, then weigh it down with something heavy, like a cast-iron pan. Let it drain for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat for blanching the broccoli. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, and mix the slurry ingredients in a separate bowl. When the water boils, add some salt and briefly blanch the broccoli until it changes color and just begins to cook—about one minute. Drain and set aside.
Pour about ⅓ cup of cornstarch onto a plate and dredge the drained tofu. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil, and when it shimmers, add half the tofu. Fry one side until lightly golden, about two minutes, then flip and fry the other side. Place the tofu on paper towels to drain and lightly salt it while still hot. Cook the remaining tofu in the same way.
Wipe the wok or skillet clean and heat it again over medium-high heat. Add two more tablespoons of oil, then stir-fry the garlic, ginger, pepper, and scallion whites for about 30 seconds. Add the blanched broccoli and stir-fry to coat it with the aromatics, about 30 seconds. Pour the sauce into the pan and bring it to a boil. Add the tofu and toss everything together until hot, about one minute. Add the scallion greens, bok choy, and cornstarch slurry, and cook until the bok choy and scallion greens are wilted and the sauce is shiny and thickened, about one minute more. Serve with rice.
