Warm Tofu with Spicy Soy Sauce

You’re probably familiar with roasted, fried, or baked tofu, but this method of preparing warm tofu simmered in hot water might be new to you. In fact, this is another traditional way to enjoy tofu in the East, and I must admit it is one of my personal favorites.

Cooking the tofu in hot water essentially takes it back a few steps in the "evolution" of tofu making, returning it to a state where it is a soft, melt-in-your-mouth block of soy cheese.

The level of tenderness depends, of course, on the cooking time; the longer you simmer the tofu, the softer it will become. In my opinion, 20-30 minutes is perfectly sufficient.

The result is tofu that is soft and pleasant yet still holds its shape firmly enough to bite into.

The advantage of this recipe is that, unlike recipes where the tofu is fried or sautéed, there is no need to add oil to the process, which helps save on calorie intake.

The sauce traditionally served with warm tofu consists of soy sauce, vinegar, and aromatic spices like garlic and chili peppers.

A bit about Warm Tofu in Spicy Soy Sauce

• I used firm tofu so it stays stable during the long cooking time. You can use softer tofu and cook it for less time. Alternatively, you can simply heat silken tofu in the microwave.
• To give the tofu a very soft and pleasant texture, I added half a teaspoon of baking soda. I don't recommend skipping this, but you can replace it with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. It has almost the same effect, though the tofu might pick up a slightly tart flavor.
• To stay true to the traditional flavors of the dish, I prepared a warm sauce made of soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili peppers, green onions, and toasted sesame seeds. If you don't like one or more of the ingredients, feel free to leave them out.

Nutritional Values:

One 200g serving of warm tofu contains:

• 315 calories
• 26g protein
• 9g carbohydrates
• 18g fat

Warm Tofu in Spicy Soy Sauce

Prep Time 30 minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 315 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 block Firm Tofu 300g
• 1 tsp Level Baking soda
• 3 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 clove Crushed garlic
• 1 tsp Vinegar
• 1 tsp Sesame oil
• 1 handful Sliced red chili pepper
• 1 handful Finely sliced green onion
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Cut the block of tofu in half and place in a pot with the baking soda.

2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Prepare the sauce

1. In a deep bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients: soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili, green onion, and sesame seeds.

2. When the tofu is ready, transfer it to the bowl and pour the sauce over the tofu.

3. Serve and eat while hot.