Here’s another quick meal that’s easy and delicious. It’s vegan and one of Antony’s favorite dishes. It’s tofu vegetable stir-fry!
Backstory
Since we’ve been on a food budget and I’ve been on a restricted diet, I’ve been introducing more vegan meals into our weekly rotation. Trying to find recipes we both like has been challenging but it’s also been really interesting exploring different foods.
Cooking vegan food for someone who is accustomed to eating meat or dairy in their meals can be a hard sell but it’s not impossible. Making sure there is a balance of flavors in the dish is key when it comes to making vegan recipes. At least, that’s what I find that works. What makes this dish a hit with Antony is the contrasting textures of crunchy and soft as well as the ginger soy flavor in the sauce. What makes this meal a hit with me is the versatility of using different ingredients.
This recipe is adapted from a ‘70s cookbook simply titled, “Chinese Cuisine” by Huang Su-Huei. When my friend, Johnny, would whip up an amazing Chinese feast of 10 dishes, he often used techniques from this cookbook. I was immediately intrigued by the simplicity and efficiency of the recipes. I knew I had to have my own copy which I ended up buying used on Amazon. The book is less than 1-inch thick when closed but there are about 180 dishes each with a photo in color as well as Chinese and English instructions. It’s amazing and so far, the recipes I’ve made are super tasty!
Recipe notes
The original recipe calls for Chinese black mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and bok choy, but I made a lot of substitutions. Feel free to do the same! It’s quite versatile. 🙂
- In place of bok choy, I used baby choy sum which is very similar and I also included gai lan, aka as Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale. Alternatively, you can swap in snow peas, broccoli, kale or green beans.
- Mushrooms definitely add great flavor to this dish so try to incorporate them if you can. Instead of the Chinese black mushrooms, I added dried shiitake and fresh maitake. Any mushroom variety will be a good replacement in this recipe.
- Here’s a tip if you use dried shiitake. Use the leftover water from soaking the mushrooms as your stock. Additionally, kombu or sea kelp stock works nicely in this recipe as well as any vegetable stock that you have on hand. Water also works fine. You may need to adjust with extra salt to enhance the flavor.
- This recipe works best using either firm or extra firm tofu since you want the bean curd to retain its shape. I did end up using firm tofu this time. The difference is that the firm tofu has a slightly softer texture and higher water content compared to extra firm tofu. I’ve used both and they’re equally delicious. Pay attention to the step that involves draining the water from the tofu, especially if you’re using firm tofu, otherwise, your dish will end up watered down.
In Conclusion
Chinese stir fry dishes are pretty fast to make, not to mention very tasty! Once you get the basic sauce down, it’s pretty versatile. I like using different vegetables so it’s never the same dish twice. By using greens in season, you can keep this dish fairly inexpensive while also staying healthy. Give it a try and, as always, let me know how you personalize it in the comments below! Happy cooking and bon appétit!
Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 package tofu, firm ($1.79)
- 2 scallions cut into 12 pieces, ($0.18)
- 6 slices ginger root peeled, ($0.23)
- 4 baby choy sum cut in half lengthwise ($1.00)
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms ($1.14)
- 2 stalks gai lan cut in small diagonal pieces ($0.97)
- 50 grams maitake mushrooms separated in small clusters ($1.34)
- 1/4 cup mild olive oil or neutral oil ($0.48)
- 1 cup vegetable stock ($0.00)
- 2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.39)
- dash black pepper ($0.00)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil ($0.02)
- 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.04)
- 1 Tbsp water ($0.00)
- salt ($0.01)
Instructions
- Prepare all your ingredients. If you’re using dried shiitake mushrooms, put them in a bowl and pour enough boiling water to cover. It should take a few minutes to rehydrate. Once hydrated, squeeze out excess water and slice thickly.
- In a small bowl, mix stock, soy sauce, black pepper and sesame oil. Mix together and set aside. Bowl (A)
- In a separate small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Mix together and set aside. Bowl (B)
- Drain tofu and place on a plate. Use a towel or paper towels to wrap tofu and remove excess water. Cut the tofu into chunky pieces and pat dry. Heat the wok on high and add oil to cover bottom. Fry the tofu pieces in 2-3 batches over high heat until golden brown on both sides. This should take a few minutes on each side. Remove and drain. Remove all but 2 Tbsp of oil and discard the rest.
- Reheat wok with oil. Add scallion and ginger. Stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add mushrooms, choy sum, and gai lan. Stir fry for a few minutes until greens are cooked but still crunchy.
- Add tofu and ingredients from bowl (A) to wok. Bring to a boil then cook until liquid is reduced to half.
- Remix ingredients from bowl (B) if needed and add to wok to thicken. Quickly mix together. Remove from heat and take out ginger pieces if you like. Adjust seasoning with soy sauce, salt, and/or pepper.
- Transfer to serving plate and serve while warm. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Serve with rice or other grain of your choice. * Note regarding pricing: The price for the pantry items such as olive oil takes into account the cost of the amount used for the recipe and not the cost if you had to purchase the entire jar or bottle. The stock in this recipe is the leftover water used to hydrate the shiitake mushrooms which is why there is a zero price on that ingredient. ** All prices in US dollars.