Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Dau Hu Nhoi Thit Sot Ca - Tofu Stuffed w/ Pork in Tomato Sauce

I love tofu in every form; soft, firm, extra firm, fried, and so on. One of my favorite recipe is Dau Hu Nhoi Thit Sot Ca. You stuff fried tofu with a minced pork mixture. Next you pan fried the stuffed tofu and then braise it in a tomato sauce. It's one those dish that appeared every week in my family, I can never get tired of it. I recently receive a couple request for this recipe and I'm glad to do it.

Ingredients:

2 packs of fried tofu (makes 16)
1/2 lb of ground pork

1/2 a cup of dried wood ear fungus
3 tomatoes
2 green onions
oil
salt
fish sauce
sugar
black pepper
mushroom seasoning
onion powder
minced garlic
chili powder (optional for spiciness)

1. Soak the wood ear fungus in warm water until soften, rinse it well before using. Once it has soften, mince
the wood ear fungus.
2. Combine the ground pork and wood ear fungus and taste it with some salt, black pepper, onion powder, and mushroom seasoning.
3. Wash the tofu before cooking and then tow
el dry.
4. Cut your tofu in half so you'll have one side with the white side exposing.
5. Make a split in the middle on the white side. Use a small spoon to carve some of the white part out to create a small pocket. This will make it easier to stuff the pork mixture.
6. Stuff the tofu with the pork mixture.
7. Cut your tomatoes into smaller chunks
8. Chop you green onions.
9. Heat up oil in a large pan (big enough to fit all your tofu). Once the oil is hot enough add the tofu, and pan fried all side of the tofu.
10. Once the tofu has been lightly seared on each side, remove from pan.
11. Add another tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan again. When it is hot enough add the tomatoes.
12. Add 3-4 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, chili powder, and a couple fish of mushroom seasoning. Stir the dry ingredients into the tomatoes and fish sauce.
13. Add the tofu and let it braise in the tomato sauce on low-medium heat. Make sure all side get the opportunity to braise into the sauce.
14. Braise the tofu until the sauce has reduce a bit and add the green onions at the very end.

Enjoy!