Image Credit to: the informal chef
When thinking of tofu or bean curd within the context of Chinese dishes, tofu with dried shrimps and onion often comes to mind. In fact, it’s not often that the Shern Kwong variant comes up in conversation. The Shern Kwong tofu, or Chinese fried bean curd as it is more commonly known, arguably is less prpoular than its other variants.
Perhaps this could be chalked down to our preference for sweeter-tasting Chinese dishes? Or maybe the inclusivity of other accompaniments such as black fungus and bell pepper detracts from the taste of the tofu?
However, that’s not to say this dish is all bad. Some people may find the “rougher” texture on the Chinese bean curds to be more flavourful and exciting than the smoother and creamier tofu. The addition of the aforementioned ingredients also makes for a variety of textures and flavours.
Besides, the Doubanjiang or broad bean paste makes for a spicy and welcome change when compared to its tamer variants of tofu!
Ingredients (Serves 2 people):
- 400 g of bean curd
- Black fungus
- Bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon of broad bean paste
- Scallions
- Ginger
- White Sugar
- Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
- Chopped onions
Directions:
- First, you need to prepare the side ingredients. Soak the black fungus in water and remove its roots.
- Wash the bell pepper and cut it into smaller pieces.
- Carefully mince the ginger.
- Diagonally slice the bean curds in half with a thickness of about 1cm for easy consumption. They should resemble a triangle and based on your preference, you may either choose to cut them into larger or smaller pieces.
- Preheat either a pan or wok and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and fry the bean curds. It may also be helpful to fry a few pieces of the bean curds at a time so as to help conserve oil and also to reduce the likeliness of the bean curd splitting.
- When both sides of the bean curds are fried to a golden brown colour, remove the bean curds and set them aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil into the wok, along with chopped green onions, and minced ginger.
- Add 1 tablespoon of broad bean paste into the wok.
- Stir fry the mixture in the wok (on low heat) until the oil turns red in colour.
- Add in the bean curds and black fungus. Fry thoroughly and add 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let it simmer for 2 minutes, and then add bell pepper.
- Lastly, add one tablespoon of cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of water. Stir-fry until the tofu is glistening with the thick sauce.
- Serve to hungry guests!