I am not a vegetarian – I love too
much meat to be one (anyone in the same boat with me?). BUT (yes, it’s a BIG
but), I do LOVE tofu!
Growing up, I only know two ways on
how tofu is served. One, Taho – this
delicious soy creation served with caramelized sugar and sago (much like tapioca) and the other, fried tofu with a
soy-vinegar dipping sauce. The latter is what my mom used to make while the
former is usually bought at a local street vendor who shouts “taho” in the
morning. Oh my, this surely brings warm memories when I was a kid!
This dish is a combination of two
inspirations. The first inspiration is a popular Chinese dish from Sichuan
province known as Mapo Tofu (Mapo Doufu). The other is from a local restaurant
I visited on a writing assignment in Laguna back in 2010. I had dinner at Chef
Mau Luto ni Tatay sa Bungkol and happen to order a tofu dish that was not only
so affordable (Php 50 or a little over US1 per order) and it was truly
satisfyingly delicious. More on my gastronomic visit at Chef
Mau Luto ni Tatay sa Bungkol here.
With these two inspirations, allow me
to share with you a Tofu dish – Mapo
Inspired Breaded Tofu in Pasta Sauce.
This is an inspired Mapo Tofu (Mapo
Doufu) dish for the sauce but there is no ground meat in this dish and the
spiciness has been tempered.
INGREDIENTS
*Scroll down for Cooking Tips
1 Pack Firm Tofu (sliced, matchbox
size)
Salt & Ground Black Pepper, to
taste
Coconut Oil for Frying
Chopped Parsley (garnishing)
BREADING
3T – 4T Cornstarch (or flour)
½ Cup Japanese Breadcrumbs
1 Egg (beaten)
2 Plastic Bags
SAUCE
½ Cup Pasta Sauce
1 Medium White Onion (minced)
3 Pcs. Garlic (minced)
¼ Tsp. Chili Powder
3T Water
PROCEDURE
1)
Dredge Tofu in cornstarch or flour, dip in egg
and cover with breadcrumbs.
2)
Fry tofu until golden in color, about 2 to 3
minutes on each side at medium heat. Set aside.
3)
For the sauce, sauté onions until translucent
then add garlic. Continue sautéing until garlic becomes more fragrant and about
to turn golden but not burnt.
4)
Pour pasta sauce and water
(if it becomes too thick for you) then simmer for 5 minutes in low heat. Stir a
bit to avoid sauce from sticking to pan.
5)
Add chili powder, salt and
ground pepper. Once the sauce has reached the consistency you desire, turn off
heat and pour over the fried tofu.
6)
Serve while hot, garnish
as desired.
Enjoy this easy recipe Mapo Inspired Breaded Tofu in Pasta
Sauce!
COOKING TIPS
Breading with cornstarch or flour and
breadcrumbs can be too messy. To lessen the mess (and of course the washing of
plates), I put cornstarch or flour and breadcrumbs on separate plastic bags.
Place tofu (or whatever fish and meat you are cooking) and shake away.
If you
LOVE food and easy to whip up recipes to cook for your friends and family,
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This Easy Recipe Mapo Inspired Breaded Tofu in Pasta Sauce is part of my Monday Madness here at Eat To Your Heart’s Content.
I hope you continue to join me as I search for more deliriously delicious dining destinations, food discoveries and easy to create recipes.
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free to email me at eattoyourheartscontent@gmail.com - I love to hear from you.
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Pie Rivera is a former food columnist of Republic of 7107 Island Travel Magazine and a freelance food & travel writer for local magazines and online travel communities. She is a TV producer and creative director by day and wanderlust at heart.
Pie Rivera captured all photos in this
site, unless otherwise stated.
All rights reserved. Eat To Your Heart's Content.
All rights reserved. Eat To Your Heart's Content.
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