Braised Napa Cabbage with Frozen Tofu
Servings: 4 servings as a side dish
Calories: 164kcal
A comforting Chinese home-style dish with tender, flavor-packed bites and a rich, savory sauce. It's simple cooking with a surprisingly delicious twist!
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Ingredients
- 500 g Napa cabbage
- 392 g extra-firm tofu
- 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
- ½ cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
For cooking:
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
Aromatics:
- 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 inch ginger thinly sliced
Seasonings:
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp freshly ground white pepper
- 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp mushroom powder optional
To thicken the sauce:
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp water
Garnish: (optional)
- 1 Tbsp goji berries
Instructions
Freeze the tofu: (Do this at least 3 days before you plan to cook)
- You need to use tofu that is packed in a tray with water in it. This method won’t work with tofu packed in carton material. Extra-firm tofu works best as it gives you the best spongy texture
- Place the whole block of tofu in the freezer and let it freezes for 24 hours or longer. This gives the best result versus cutting them into cubes and then freezing them
- After the tofu has a chance to freeze for at least 24 hours, remove from the freezer and let it thaw overnight in the fridge or for several hours at room temperature (if you are pressing for time to use it).
- This is how the spongy texture looks after being frozen and then thawed
- Once it has thawed completely, remove from packaging, drain off the water and the defrosted tofu can be cut into 2 inch cubes
Prepare the veggies:
- Cut Napa cabbage into large chunks, about 2-inch chunks. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water until they are soft and plump. If the stems of the mushrooms are still tough, you can cut them off, otherwise, I usually keep them if they are soft. You can keep the mushrooms whole for presentation, or cut into slices
Start cooking:
- Combine all ingredients for seasonings in a bowl and set aside
- Preheat a large skillet or wok with 1 Tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and saute for about 30 seconds.
- Add Napa cabbage pieces, mushrooms, chicken stock, and seasonings. Gently stir to combine. It may not seem like a lot of liquid, but the Napa cabbage will let out more liquid as it cooks.
- Bring it to a simmer, and then cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes
- Uncover and then add the tofu pieces. Make sure the tofu pieces are submerged into the braising liquid. Cover and let them simmer for another 10 minutes
- Have a taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. The mushrooms should be tender
- Combine cornstarch with water and give it a good stir. Pour this into the pan while stirring gently until the sauce thickens. Of the heat. Stir in goji berries and let the residual heat softenit.
Overcooking goji berries can make them taste sour. Usually, residual heat is enough to soften them
Serving:
- Transfer to a serving dish and decorate with some chopped green onion
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 794mg | Potassium: 551mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 399IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 2mg
