Monday, July 11, 2011

Spicy Tofu and Edamame Beans

This is a lovely and tasty tofu dish. It is the first time that I'm cooking with Edamame Beans (soy beans), which I usually have  at restaurants, but never at home. I use the frozen ones for this dish, and I love it! It's healthy  and delicious. This recipe for Spicy Tofu and Edamame Beans is from Ching-He Huang, ever heard of her? She's a young and talented chef specializing in Chinese cooking. Her recipes are simple, quick and looks delicious. Most of the ingredients used are the basics which you can find in any Chinese kitchen, and that works for me.  

Ever wonder how tofu are made? Well, there's an interesting video here, where it shows exactly that and features Ching-He Huang cooking up this lovely tofu dish.


Rinse and pat dry firm tofu, cut to  1/2 inch thick rectangles.


Frozen Edamame Beans 


 The lovely sweet beans


Tofu are fried and braised for a short while to absorb the flavours 


A delicious plate of tofu is ready ! I love everything about this dish. The tofu has absorbed all the flavours from the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar,  the sweet Edamame beans together with  the aroma and lovely taste of the corianders are just great. Get a good generous bunch of young tender corianders.  This dish is not spicy at all, of course it depends from the heat of the red chillies, for a spicier dish, use chilies with more heat, if you like.


Really good with steamed rice. Perfect for vegetarians.  Enjoy! 

I'm sharing this with Hearth and Soul Hop over at Mom's Sunday Cafe.


Spicy Tofu and Edamame Beans
(recipe courtesy : Ching-He Huang, source from Cooking Channel)
Ingredients
Bean Curd Stir-Fry
2 tablespoons groundnut oil (peanut oil)
14 ounces firm fresh bean curd (firm tofu), drained and cut into 1/2 inch thick rectangles
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoons black rice vinegar (recommended : Chinkiang) or balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes


Edamame Beans
1 tablespoon groundnut oil (peanut oil)
1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped
water, as needed
3 ounces fresh or frozen edamame beans, thawed
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon black rice vinegar (recommended : Chinkiang) or balsamic vinegar
Handful fresh cilantro leaves and stalks, finely chopped
Serving suggestions : serve with steamed rice


Directions :
To make the bean curd : Heat the groundnut oil in a large flat-bottomed pan over a medium heat. Add the bean curd, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the light soy sauce and cook until the sauce has reduced and the bean curd is browned on one side. Using a small palette knife or fork, lift and turn each piece, careful not to break the bean curd. Cook just to colour the second side.
Add the dark soy sauce, and vinegar, and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Season the dish with the dried chili flakes. Transfer the bean curd to a serving plate and set aside.

To make the edamame : Reheat the pan and add the groundnut oil. Stir-fry the chili for a few seconds, and then add the edamame beans. Add a sprinkle of water to help create steam, and cook for less than 1 minute. Season the edamame with the light soy sauce, and vinegar, then stir in the chopped cilantro.

To serve, pour the edamame beans over the bean curd and serve immediately. For a fuller meal, serve with steamed rice.

Notes from Ching-He Huang :
This is a tasty nutritious dish. Here soya beans that have been made into bean curd are introduced to fresh soya beans (edamame) and the contrast is fabulous, a vegetarian marriage made in culinary heaven. Simple to prepare in a matter of minutes.


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32 comments:

  1. Another great meatless meal! This looks really delicious- I love edamame and can't wait to try this! :)

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  2. A delight for vegetarians like me ~ a great protein packed recipe that I can't wait to try :)
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  3. I still have some tofu I need to use up. This looks like a great recipe for it!

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  4. This is wonderful! Using Edamame is rally a smart move!! Thanks for the innovative recipe :)

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  5. i love the look of this, now craving some good asian food :)

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  6. I love tofu! What a great, and healthy, ingredient. Plus, your idea of combining it with edamame beans is genius; what delicious texture contrasts!

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  7. Hi, regarding the sichuan peppercorns, you can get it in Chinese herbs and medicine shop "Yok Choi Poh" , hope this help. Let me know if you couldn't get it.

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  8. Hi,
    I love Ching as her recipes are pretty simple and jiffy to do...love her Minnie Mouse voice..lol.I have every single ingredients listed and I think this dish will be on my kitchen table tomorrow.Thanks for the recipe and have a great week.

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  9. Yep, this dish is definitely calling my name. It is telling me I must make it right now for dinner tonight! Wow, so flavorful just so flavorful!

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  10. Un platito bien rico.
    Un saludito

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  11. maybe i've seen edamame beans before but first time seeing it in a dish. thanks joyce!

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  12. very healthy and very beautiful dish...have to definitely try this recipe....thanks for sharing dear.. :-))

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  13. wow..thats a yummy dish..love the flavours!!

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  14. I've never heard of Ching-He Huang but thanks for sharing this recipe. I like tofu and edamame so this dish is great!

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  15. This tofu dish with edamame looks delicious, love the combination of it. Since I am trying to incorporate more tofu in our diet this dish is just perfect. Have a wonderful week ahead :-)

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  16. Could I come over for a night snack? LOL Gosh...I love this simple homey stir-fry. So appetizing and tasty.

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  17. It looks delicious but I don't trust tofu. I am buying some today and give it one more chance. Thanks for the push toward tofy.

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  18. It does look delicious, but the one time I had tofu I didn't like it. I really should try it again. It would be a lot easier if I lived next door to you Joyce and you could just make it for me, lol!

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  19. This looks AMAZING! I just bought two bags of edamame - wish I had tofu in the house!

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  20. Wow, this looks so good! Healthy and Delicious!

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  21. I want you to know, you inspired me. We so not like tofu or we think, we don't. After seeing your recipe, I went out and bought some.

    I hope, I will come back with a successful dish.

    What could I use in place of the edamame? I like it and hubby does not. Would green beans work?

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  22. Wow Edamame and Tofu together! Makes for a high protein meal for sure - this will be a good one for ghas poos vegetarians like moi :) Love the flavorings too! cheers, priya

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  23. Hi friends,
    Thank you for all your lovely comments. Have a lovely day!

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  24. Mmmm...would be perfect for my dinner! I love edamame. I often snack on them....delicious!

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  25. I love the beans in this recipe....great contrasting flavors!

    Thanks for sharing at the hearth and soul hop.

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  26. I ended up making tofu. You did inspire me. Take a look and see what happened. I did find a way to make tofu even tastier. Don't scold me when you see what happened.

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  27. Oh my goodness this looks so good! Beautiful and healthy :)

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  28. hai,where can i get those edamame beans? :B

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    Replies
    1. Hi ms, cahye,
      You can find the edamame beans from Jusco, at the frozen section. Enjoy!

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  29. Definitely must try!
    Thanks for providing fresh ideas for edamame beans & tofu :)

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