braised dried tofu

(looks better in real life, half eaten before remembering to take pictures....hungry mah)


One of my favourite and easiest dish to cook. Just cut and throw, switch on the gas.

Maybe its in my blood, as hokkien they like lots of dishes cooked with thick black soy sauce whether its porks, noodles, pig's knuckles and of course veggie for me.

Ingredients (for 2 or 3 persons)
1. Tau kuah or dry tofu - 3 pieces -cut into 4 halves
2. Black fungus- 3 -5
3. carrot- a few here and there (for colour lah and some veggie)
4.mushrooms (love the fresh types of tong ku)
5. Abalone mushrooms (brown types, they are crunchier in textures)


6.optional: can add radish and dried chillies if you want.

Others: A bit of cinnamon, star anise, cardamon and a dash of pepper

Seasonings
1. Liquid aminoes (a dash or two)
2. Black strap molasses (to brown the dish, suffice if you replace it with the amount you would with the convention thick black soy sauce)
3. black bean sauce (a lil squirt)
4. optional: japanese black vinegar (my favourite part!)


(my precious japanese black vinegar!)

5.Sesame oil- few drops

Directions:
1. Cut all ingredients into a pot, add water filling half the pot without drowning the ingredients (I used 5 vege soup as base)
2. Let it simmer a while, slowly add the seasonings in one by one.
3. Season to taste. Cook until you can see tofu brown brown and the smell makes you salivate...