Tofu with Minced Meat

Ingredients

    50 grams minced pork

    1/2 tsp light soy sauce

    1/2 tsp sugar

    1/2 tsp corn starch

    1/2 tsp sesame oil for marinade

    a few dashes white pepper powder to taste

    1 tbsp cooking oil

    3 garlic cloves minced

    1 tsp salted soya beans (aka dou jiang, ‘taucheo’, 豆酱)

    1 tsp dried fermented black beans rinsed, patted dry & mashed slightly with a fork

    2 chilli padi sliced thinly, to taste

    1/2 cup water seasoning; mix well

    1/2 tsp dark soy sauce seasoning; mix well

    1/2 tbsp sesame oil seasoning; mix well

    cornstarch solution mix 1 tbsp water with 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

    150 grams firm Chinese tofu cubed

    1 tbsp chopped spring onions (scallions)

Instructions

In a bowl, marinade minced pork with light soy sauce, sugar, corn starch, sesame oil and white pepper for about 10 minutes.

Heat oil in wok and add the garlic, salted soya beans, fermented black beans and chilli. Stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the marinated meat and stir fry until no longer pink, breaking the meat up to smaller bits using the spatula or turner.

Add seasoning (water, dark soy sauce and sesame oil). Bring to a boil.

Gently add beancurd cubes and simmer over low heat for 3 minutes, taking care not to break the tofu cubes.

Thicken with cornstarch solution and garnish with chopped spring onions.

Cooking Note

1. You can add mushrooms (such as hon shimeji or sliced button mushrooms) or prawns (shells & veins removed) at step 4 for a more complete meal.