Vegetables of your choice: broccoli, bok choy, etc
Instructions
Prepare the tofu paste:
Mash the tofu with a fork. I put this over a strainer and squeeze out any excess water. I don't recommend using soft or silken tofu they have more liquid and will make the tofu balls too soft to handle
Place the tofu, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, egg white in a food processor and process into a paste consistency. Stir in the cornstarch, chopped green onion, cilantro leaves, and the seasonings. Stir to mix everything. If the paste is a bit too soft or watery, you may add a bit more cornstarch
Shape into pipa:
Lightly brush the Chinese soup spoon and a steaming plate with some cooking oil. Lightly grease your palm with a bit of cooking oil too. Scoop the tofu paste with the spoon and use your fingers to mold the paste into the spoon to shape like a pipa. Gently slide it off the spoon onto a steaming plate you will use for steaming later. Continue to do so until you run out of tofu paste
Steaming:
Prepare your steamer by bringing the water to a boil. Place the steaming plate with pipa tofu in the steamer. Steam over high heat for 5-7 minutes. I steamed mine for 7 minutes
Remove from the steamer and you will see some liquid is pooling on the plate. Pour the liquid into a bowl. We will use it to prepare the sauce later
If you do not want to pan fry or deep fry, you are done here and proceed to prepare the sauce step. Proceed to next step if you want to deep fry or pan fry the steamed pipa tofu
If you choose to deep fry or pan fry the pipa tofu:
Mix the rice flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Stir to mix. Preheat about 2 1/2 inches of oil for deep frying. If you choose to pan fry, preheat about 4 Tbsp of cooking oil in a pan
Coat the steamed pipa tofu with the flour mixture and deep fry or pan fry until golden brown on all sides. Place on absorbent paper towel and continue to fry the next batch
Prepare the sauce:
Preheat about 1 tsp of oil in a pan or skillet. Add garlic and stir fry for about 10 seconds. Pour in the liquid from steaming pipa tofu followed by the rest of the ingredients for sauce. Bring it to a simmer. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch with water and pour into the simmering sauce and stir until the sauce thickens
Serving:
Arrange pipa tofu on a serving platter with some blanched vegetables and then pour the sauce on top and serve immediately with rice