A few months ago in a restaurant I ordered a dish of san bei tofu (Three cups tofu) which gains its name from combining equal parts of soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil. It was the best tofu dish I have ever eaten. Full of spiciness and fragrance which is an achievement, considering this is a notoriously low flavor food. Here they used egg tofu which is deep fried then combined with the three cups of seasoning, along with basil, chili, whole cloves of garlic and re-hydrated black mushrooms and the result is sensational. This dish is transferred to a pre-heated clay pot prior to serving so it arrives at your table bubbling and sizzling! Determined to be able to replicate this at home I took Ivy Chen (who teaches Chinese cooking at the Center) back to this restaurant with me and asked for her help. The three cups cooking method, she explained, is not just for tofu; chicken, duck and fish are also used. If you order this dish in a restaurant it is not always served meat free and I have eaten it with the addition of pork strips. Whatever you chose as your main ingredient the combination of basil, chilli, garlic and three cups of seasoning is sensational!
Three Cups Tofu (san bei dough foo) (serves 2-3)
Ingredients
I box of firm or egg tofu (approx 300g)
Corn-flour to coat tofu
Sunflower oil to fry
2 dried black mushrooms (soaked in water for 20 minutes), drained and cut into quarters
150g old fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin slices
6 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 large red chili, de-seeded and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons black sesame oil
3 tablespoons cooking wine
3 tablespoons soy sauce *
1 tablespoon corn-flour, mixed to a paste with a little water
?teaspoon sugar
?teaspoon black pepper
?cup water
1 large handful fresh basil leaves
* use a low salt, naturally brewed soy sauce; it doesn contain MSG and it healthier (Kikkoman brand is a good one to buy).
Method
1. Cut the tofu into six thick slices then cut each slice in half again on the diagonal. Coat each piece with corn-flour.
2. Deep or shallow fry the tofu in sunflower oil until golden and drain thoroughly on kitchen paper.
3. Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan (which has a tight fitting lid) and add the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry over a low heat until the ginger and garlic start to soften then add the mushrooms and continue to cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the tofu to the pan with cooking wine, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, corn-flour and water. Bring to the boil then cover and reduce heat to a simmer; cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened (do not stir whilst cooking as this will break up the tofu).
5. In the last minute of cooking, heat an empty clay pot on the hob until very hot.
6. Take the tofu off the heat and stir in the basil and chili. Transfer to the clay pot and serve immediately. It traditional for this dish to arrive at the table hot and sizzling.
If you don have a clay pot serve straight from the pan in a pre-heated serving dish.
Delicious with steamed rice and a cold beer.
Ma Po Tofu (serves 2-3)
If you like spicy dishes then this is another great way to serve tofu. This is traditionally made with minced pork to add flavor but if you are vegetarian simply leave it out.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 teaspoons fermented chili soybean sauce or chili paste
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 thumb fresh ginger, grated
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cooking wine
50g minced pork (optional)
?teaspoon salt
?teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
?cup water
1 box of tender tofu, drained and cut into 1 cm cubes
1 teaspoon corn-flour
2 teaspoons water
?teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon light sesame oil
2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander
Method
1. Heat the sunflower oil and stir-fry the garlic, ginger and scallion with the chili paste and cooking wine for 2-3 minutes. Add the pork and continue to cook until it changes color.
2. Add the salt, sugar, soy sauce and water to the pan and bring to the boil, then add the tofu and simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Mix the corn-flour with 2 teaspoons water and add to the pan stirring to thicken.
4. Remove pan from the heat and add the black pepper and sesame oil.
Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with coriander.
Serve on its own with steamed rice or as part of a Chinese multi-dish meal
Tip ! If the list of ingredients looks a bit bewildering, cook Chinese style by preparing all the ingredients before you start to cook ?the cooking time for many Chinese dishes is low so getting organized first is the key to a stress free meal.
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