Vegan Hakka-Style Stuffed Tofu (Yong Tau Foo)

Prep Time: 30m | Cook Time: 30m | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Tofu Puffs
• Classic Medium Firm Tofu (cut into squares)
• Bitter melon
• Fresh shiitake mushrooms
• Eggplant
• Red chillis, deseeded
• Okra
• Cornstarch, for dusting
• Oil, for frying

Tofu And ‘Pork’ Fillling

• 260g Firm Tofu, finely crumbed
• 240g vegan pork mince
• 2 stalks spring onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 carrot, finely diced
• 1 chunk Ginger, Grated
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Vegan Fish Sauce
• 1 tsp Sesame oil
• 1/2 tbsp vegan Chicken stock powder
• 1/2 tsp White pepper
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch

Thick Soy Sauce

• 1 cup Water
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Vegan Oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp Vegan Chicken stock powder
• 1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water

Instructions

1. Drain your tofu, rinse and place onto some paper towel. Cover with more paper towel and lightly press with a plate to remove excess moisture for 30 minutes. Use a small spoon to scoop out a cavity in the centre of each tofu square.
2. Cut the eggplant into coins or chunks. Slice each piece through the centre without cutting all the way through to create a pocket for stuffing.
3. Cut the bitter melon into 1 cm thick coins and scoop out the inner pulp. Make a slit in the tofu puffs, okra and deseeded chillies for stuffing.
4. Destem the shiitake mushrooms and set aside.
5. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Blanch the eggplant and bitter melon for 1 minute, then remove and pat dry.
6. Dust all tofu, vegetables and mushrooms generously with cornstarch wherever the filling will go. This helps the filling stick and prevents it from falling out during frying.
7. In a mixing bowl, combine all filling ingredients and mix well to form a cohesive mixture.
8. In a small saucepan, add all the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch and water slurry. Heat on medium.
9. Once the sauce begins to heat up, mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl, then add to the saucepan.
10. Stir the sauce continuously until it thickens slightly. It will continue to thicken a little as it cools, so keep it slightly runnier than you want. Set aside until serving.
11. Fill each vegetable and tofu piece with the prepared filling. Do not overfill, as the filling may fall out during frying.
12. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a pan or wok to 180ºC.
13. Fry the stuffed tofu and vegetables in batches. Start with the tofu, as it takes longer to crisp up. Flip everything to ensure even cooking.
14. Keep in mind that each vegetable has different cooking times, so monitor and adjust accordingly.
15. Serve hot with plenty of the thick soy sauce and some steamed rice. Enjoy!