Braised tofu––using silken tofu that’s first fried and then braised––is a dish usually enjoyed at a Chinese restaurant, because most people are a bit intimidated by the idea of making it at home. While it’s not quite as easy as some of our other tofu dishes (like this simple beef tofu stir-fry for instance), it is the fried silken tofu that really sets it apart.
This braised tofu made with silken tofu is similar to our traditional Hong Shao Tofu, but that version of the dish is made with a medium or soft tofu. Read more about the various types of tofu on our tofu ingredients page.
Silken tofu is the most delicate of all tofu types and breaks up easily, so the added step of deep frying it puts a thin crust around the exterior that helps it hold up in a gentle stir fry. Deep frying adds that Chinese restaurant flavor and also rewards you with a slightly crisp exterior and silken texture inside, all drowned in a flavorful brown sauce.
May I say again that the extra deep frying step is a total game changer?
Do I have you convinced yet?
Just look at those photos and get started!
(If you’re intrigued by the idea of deep-frying tofu, then also check out our classic crispy skin stuffed tofu recipe, where we use soft tofu coated in cornstarch and stuffed with shrimp. The soft tofu used in that recipe holds its shape, creating small, delightfully crispy blocks served with sweet soy dipping sauce. Mmmm.)
You’ll need:
- 1 block of silken tofu
- 2 to 3 cups of canola or soybean oil for frying
- 1 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock, or soaking liquid from dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 3 small slices ginger (1/8 inch thick, smashed with the broad side of a knife)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 scallions, cut at an angle into 2 inch long pieces (white and green portions separated)
- 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms (or 4 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked for 1 hour)
- 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced at an angle
- 2/3 cup fresh winter bamboo shoots (or canned if fresh shoots are not available)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 cup snap peas
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons water
Cut the tofu into 10 pieces, transfer to a plate, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Carefully tilt the plate and pour off the liquid. This step allows you to remove some of the water content from the very wet silken tofu.
In a tall pot, heat oil to 375 to 400 degrees F. Make sure that the oil is well below the rim of the pot, so the oil does not overflow. It also minimizes splattering. You can use a candy or oil thermometer to check the temperature.
Use a metal spatula or slotted spoon to carefully scoop up one piece at a time and lower it quickly into the hot oil. I suggest frying 3 to 4 pieces at a time, keeping the heat at medium high, because the tofu will cool the oil quickly. You need to maintain that high oil temperature to quickly brown the outside and form a light crust.
Deep fry your silken tofu until light golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes per batch) and set aside on a dry plate.
Oil temperature control is key, as you want to maintain the temperature between 375 and 400 degrees F.
In a bowl, combine the stock, oyster sauce, soy sauces, sesame oil, sugar, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
Heat your wok over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the frying oil around the perimeter of the wok so it is lightly coated. Add the smashed ginger to the wok and stir it in the oil for about 15 seconds. Stir in the minced garlic, the white portion of the scallions, the mushrooms, carrots, and bamboo shoots, and turn the heat up to high.
Stir-fry for 30 seconds and add the Shaoxing wine and the snap peas.
Continue to stir-fry for another 30 seconds, and add the sauce mixture. Bring the mixture up to a boil. Once boiling, add the cornstarch and water mixture and stir for 15 seconds until the sauce starts to thicken.
Add the fried silken tofu and the rest of the scallions.
Carefully fold the mixture together until the tofu is well-coated. Use extra care, because the fried silken tofu is still very delicate! Let your braised tofu cook for another 15 to 20 seconds and add a little more cornstarch and water if you want a thicker sauce.
Serve this braised tofu over rice, or family-style if you are having other dishes alongside it.
You’ll see why we call this dish the ultimate braised tofu, because with a little practice, it is just as good as what you can get at your local Chinese restaurant! (Or maybe even better.)
Ultimate Braised Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 pound silken tofu (450g, organic preferred!)
- 2 cups oil (for frying)
- 1 cup chicken stock (can also use vegetable stock or soaking liquid from dried shiitake mushrooms)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 3 small slices ginger (1/8 inch thick, smashed with the broad side of a knife)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 2 scallions (cut at an angle into 2 inch long pieces, white and green portions separated)
- 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms (or 4 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in warm water for 30 mins)
- 1 medium carrot (thinly sliced at an angle)
- 2/3 cup fresh winter bamboo shoots (or canned if fresh shoots are not available)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 cup snap peas
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into 10 pieces, transfer to a plate, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Carefully tilt the plate and pour off the liquid. This step allows you to remove some of the water content from the very wet silken tofu.
- In a tall pot, heat oil to 375 to 400 degrees F. Make sure that the oil is well below the rim of the pot, so the oil does not overflow. It also minimizes splattering. You can use a candy or oil thermometer to check the temperature.
- Use a metal spatula or slotted spoon to carefully scoop up one piece at a time and lower it quickly into the hot oil. I suggest frying 3 to 4 pieces at a time, keeping the heat at medium high, because the tofu will cool the oil quickly. You need to maintain that high oil temperature to quickly brown the outside and form a light crust.
- Deep fry your silken tofu until light golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes per batch) and set aside on a dry plate. Oil temperature control is key, as you want to maintain the temperature between 375 and 400 degrees F.
- In a bowl, combine the stock, oyster sauce, soy sauces, sesame oil, sugar, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat your wok over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the frying oil around the perimeter of the wok so it is lightly coated. Add the smashed ginger to the wok and stir it in the oil for about 15 seconds. Stir in the minced garlic, the white portion of the scallions, the mushrooms, carrots, and bamboo shoots, and turn the heat up to high. Stir-fry for 30 seconds and add the Shaoxing wine and the snap peas.
- Continue to stir-fry for another 30 seconds, and add the sauce mixture. Bring the mixture up to a boil. Once boiling, add the cornstarch and water mixture and stir for 15 seconds until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the fried silken tofu and the rest of the scallions.
- Carefully fold the mixture together until the tofu is well-coated. Use extra care, because the fried silken tofu is still very delicate! Let your braised tofu cook for another 15 to 20 seconds and add a little more cornstarch and water if you want a thicker sauce.
Nutrition
Vivian says
Hi – thank you so much for all the energy you’ve placed into building and maintaining this website. The instructions, with pictures added for clarification, are so beneficial, especially for those of us who understand and remember things by sight. Question – can you please elaborate on the smashing ginger part? What is the purpose in this step? Is it for it to break apart when being cooked in the wok? Would mincing it do any harm? Thanks again!
Bill says
Hi Vivian, glad you are enjoying our little family blog and our recipes! We smash the ginger for recipes where we want to release the flavor and juice of the fresh ginger into the dish and can easily find and remove the larger piece of ginger before serving or even while eating it. Sometimes you just want the flavor of the ginger without crunching on any small bits as you might with minced or chopped ginger.
Gwen says
This. Was. Delicious! Replaced the bamboo shoots with water chestnuts and the oyster sauce with sriracha hot sauce and it was so good! Yum!
Judy says
Yayyyy!!!
Sabrina Wong Harvey says
I love your website, and you are one of my go-to websites for Asian recipes. This is a yummy recipe, but I’m not a fan of deep frying, so I don’t know that this will become part of my regular repertoire. Still, I can see where it could fit into a multi-course Chinese meal.
Sabrina Harvey says
I also want to add that the fried silken tofu is delightful.
Bill says
Thanks Sabrina, agreed and this braised tofu dish is worth doing some frying every once in a while ;-)
Justyna says
Fantastic and a breeze to make. Key is to follow the instructions and plan ahead ( let tofu lose the liquid, mix the sauce, cut veggies – all this can be done while you having your morning Java!). Then at lunch just weep it up together quickly and savour every bite! Thank you! Keep these coming!
Bill says
Hi Justyna, you’re definitely right that letting the tofu sit is a key step that can’t be skipped – like morning coffee! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Sabrina says
Love your website. I want to try to make Ultimate Braised Tofu but I have a question, can I deep fry the tofu ahead of time to minimize last minute prep?
Bill says
Hi Sabrina, deep frying the tofu ahead of time should work!
Toni Jean says
As a freshman in college (ooh, decades ago – how did that happen?) my roomie and i patronized a local Chinese place so often they would often let us have some of their off menu dishes. I remember a deep fried tofu dish that was the most impeccable tender, succulent and decadent thing EVER! I think this might be the recipe!! I need to put this on my MUST make list!! thank you so much for the recipe!
Judy says
Indeed, Toni Jean, you have to make it. It’s full of flavor and great textures. :-)
Schantall says
I keep forgetting to rate the recipes, even though I try a new woks of life dish almost every week. Add that to the all time favourite woks of life dishes and you see we mainly eat chinese now. All because of your wonderful blog.
So finally spending some time commenting.
The recipe was good and I loved the Tofu, though it does take a considerable amount preparing it.
However, do NOT be stingy with the oil! I thought it would be a good idea not to waste so much oil and only put a 2 cm layer of oil in the pot. The Tofu stuck to the bottom of the pot immediately and then disassembled. When I added more oil the other batches turned out fine!
And unrelated to the recipe:
Woks of life, can you please please please post more Sichuan dishes? We love them. :)
Bill says
Hi Schantall, thanks for sharing your cooking experience! You are right about the amount of oil, because the tofu has to float to cook right for this recipe. Also, we love Sichuan and Hunan food too, so we’ll continue to post those recipes. Happy cooking!
Alex says
Would it work reasonably well to bake rather than deep fry the tofu?
Bill says
Hi Alex, the high heat from deep frying in oil and the oil itself is the key to this dish. Unfortunately, baking will not work at all with silken tofu!