Smoky Wok

I have recently been taking some short-cuts in the kitchen due to just pure unadulterated laziness.  Anyway, steaming is already a relatively easy method of cooking but I upped the easiness factor by preparing this easy spicy egg tofu dish entirely in the microwave.  Saves one a lot of hassle!  However, you will still need to slice up the ingredients (by the way, have I mentioned that I really dislike peeling the skin from the garlic bulbs??).  For this dish, I added Chinese spicy bean sauce (daobanjiang) essentially a staple condiment in Chinese Szechuan cooking.  Whenever Szechuan cooking is mentioned, the two most representative dishes are probably mapo dofu and dan dan mian.  I did get some inspiration for today's spicy tofu dish from the former but today's version is vegetarian and really much simpler.



If you like egg tofu, I am quite sure you will like this.  I find that the ginger is quite a vital ingredient in this dish, lending a fragrance to the earthy spiciness of the daobanjiang.  All in all, a very satisfactory dish and the thing that made me the happiest?  The total ease and convenience of it all!


This recipe is part of my Yuen Chun Recipes, an ongoing project on this blog.

*On a side note, I used the tofu as part of my bento box the next day and they were perfectly tasty.  Just remember to heat the tofu in the microwave the next morning before placing into your lunch box.  Remember to allow to cool to room temperature if using regular lunch boxes but there's no need for that if you are using thermal boxes.


Serves 2

Serving suggestion: with steamed rice and other dishes

Ingredients:

2 rolls of egg tofu (sliced to1/2 inch rounds)
3 stalks green onions, sliced (save green parts for second step)
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 slices young ginger
1 tablespoon daobanjiang
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce (I used Yuen Chun's)

Method:

Firstly, place the sliced tofu on a microwave save plate.  Place some green onions on top (white parts).  Spoon the daobanjiang and sugar on top.  Microwave on medium for about 1.5 minutes.  Remove from microwave and set aside.

In a small bowl, place the garlic, ginger and cooking oil together.  Microwave on medium high for about 50 seconds.  The oil should be hot enough.  Add light soy sauce carefully.

Scatter the rest of the green onions on top of the cooked tofu.  Pour oil mixture on top as evenly as you can.  Gently coat the tofu slices with the mixture well.  Serve.