Bite sized tofu stuffed with lightly seasoned prawns showcases both seafood and the deep fried tofu. In many Asian cuisines, deep fried tofu is a dinner staple and often used as a good source of protein, especially for vegetarians. However, not all deep fried tofu are exactly the same. Japanese atsu-age, is quite dense and comes in square blocks. For this prawn stuffed tofu, we are using a much lighter version, Thai or Chinese style. In contrast to the crispy exterior the interior is light and puffy. The day we went ingredient shopping for this dish, the larger sized tofu was completely sold out, so I ended up using these small square tofu, which were more difficult to stuff, but still tasted wonderful! This recipe, taught to me by my Chinese girlfriend, may seem complicated but actually, it’s quite simple.
- 1 12 oz. packet deep fried tofu rectangles or squares
- ½ lb. peeled, cleaned prawns and chopped into small pieces or paste
- 1 egg white
- 2 teaspoon mirin - Japanese sweet cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger juice
- 1 green onions finely chopped
- First, prepare the tofu. Place the tofu in a colander and pour hot water over the top. I think this is an important step because it refreshes the tofu and gets rid of excess oil.
- Slice the tofu on the diagonal then make a small incision in the center of the tofu. Don’t make this too deep; otherwise, you will tear the tofu. Handle the tofu gently.
- Grate the ginger and squeeze out the juice until you have about a tablespoon.
- In a small bowl, add the chopped prawn, chopped green onions, ginger juice, mirin and the egg white. Mix well.
- To stuff tofu, sometimes they remove some of the white part of the tofu to make more space for the stuffing mix. However, I find this unnecessary and a waste. Gently, open the slit and stuff with the prawn mix.
- Heat a frying pan and when hot add cooking oil, such as canola or vegetable.
- Place the stuffed side down in the pan to cook first. Cover the pan and lower the heat to medium low. Cook for a couple minutes.
- Open lid and cook the other sides of the tofu. There is no added flavoring, but if you need to add some liquid, I use either sake, rice wine, or just some water.
We like to eat this as is but if you prefer, you can dip it in your favorite Asian sauce, such as soy sauce and chili!
I am so in love with prawns and this made me wanna try this out. It looks delicious and healthy!
Please try it! Although simple, it’s tasty!
Simple yet very attractive. I don’t know how to cook but my husband do. And I would love to ask a favor from him to cook this prawn stuffed tofu. I know the kids would love this too.
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