Every once in a while, V enters the kitchen to make his sought-after (by me!) Chinese stir fry.  He does such a good job of it, that I generally do not attempt to make this dish.   Today was no exception, he made an amazing stir fry with crispy tofu and broccoli.

But I messed up the photos!  It has been a very warm and sunny winter with nary a cloud or a drop of rain and so I have not had any issues taking photos in the backyard.  However today turned out to be a cold and windy day, my favorite chopsticks and napkin kept flying off and I lost patience and took really out-of-focus pictures.  I feel very bad about that.  One of the pics even has the chopsticks mixed up which I guess is okay and maybe a fun thing to do once in a while!

Speaking of chopsticks, V and I love collecting different kinds of chopsticks from China, Korea, Japan and other places.  The Korean ones are the most sustainable as they are stainless steel, and come paired with a long spoon.  However V is  not a big fan of using the flattish stainless steel chopsticks, while I actually like it.  I also like the Japanese ones, pictured here, as they are lacquered and have very pretty designs.

 

 

Recipe for Chinese-style Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry with Sesame Seeds

[Printable Recipe]

Serves 4 as a main dish with white rice

Ingredients:

• 1 tub (~14oz) extra-firm organic tofu
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 4 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 small onion, cut length-wise
• 4 Tbsp corn starch
• 1 lb broccoli florets cut in to bite-sized pieces
• For the sauce:
  • 1/4th cup organic tamari or soy sauce
  • 4 Tbsp water
  • 4 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp grated ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced fine
  • 2 Tbsp corn starch
• Vegetable oil for pan frying
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Squeeze extra water out of the tofu:  Place the tofu on a plate.  Place another plate on top and weigh it down with something heavy for 30 mins to an hour until the water is squeezed out.
• While the tofu is being pressed, make the sauce: Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce and keep aside
• Heat a wok or pan and dry toast the sesame seeds until golden brown on medium to low heat, taking care not to burn it.   Remove and set aside
• Coat the pan with a little oil and roast the cashews until golden.  Remove and set aside
• Remove the tofu that has been squeezed of water and cut it in to bite-sized cubes.  Dredge the cubed tofu in about 4 Tbsp of corn starch and a pinch of salt.
• Add a little more oil to the pan and on low to medium heat, pan fry the tofu until golden brown on all sides.  Remove and set aside
• Add the broccoli to the pan and stir on medium heat until the broccoli is bright green for about 10-15 mins
• Add the sauce to the pan and when it starts bubbling, add the onion, tofu, sesame seeds and cashew nuts and switch off the heat and remove to a serving dish
• Serve warm with white rice

 

 

I have never made tofu the way V made it today by dredging it in corn starch, but it turned out really crispy.  The broccoli was fresh and crunchy and flavorful, and the cashew added a bit of sweetness to the dish.   All in all, a perfect comfort meal for a lazy Sunday lunch!   We didn’t even have any leftovers for me to attempt another photo session!