Soy Braised Beancurd Pot – Delishar
Whenever the husband goes out to town, I go a little soy-crazy. I love my soy products. Silky tofu, firm tofu, egg tofu, tau pok, tau kee, tau huay, soy milk… you name it, I love it. Unfortunately, the husband isn’t a big fan of soy products. Maybe I should be more specific, the husband does not like soy products at all. *insert sad face here*
So I rarely make any kind of soy beancurd dishes at home, unless of course when he travels for work, or when I cook for myself and the girls sometimes. I made this dish when the husband was away for his yearly international learning trip. This time to Vietnam. While he was enjoying his hot bowl of pho, I was busy loving me some soy.
Honestly, I could have thrown in some tau pok to the mix if I wanted to have an overkill on the soy braise pot. However, I was trying to keep the calories low, so I opted out of the fried tau pok. That night when I made this amazing braised beancurd pot, oh that night I tell you, I was propelled to food heaven every time I take a mouthful of this deliciousness. If you are a bean-curd lover like I am, I’m sure you’ll love this dish as well.

Soy Braised Beancurd Pot
- 2 firm tofu tau kwa, cut into cubes
- 4 pieces of dried beancurd skin tau kee
- 6 dried shitake mushrooms
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1 tsp chinese 5 spice powder
- 3 slices of galangal
- 3 slices ginger
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 lemongrass bruised and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 shallot sliced thinly
- 1 tbsp shao xing wine
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp kicap manis
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1-2 tsp brown sugar or to taste
- 4 hard boiled eggs shell removed
- 500 ml hot water more if you like more gravy
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- Chopped spring onions to garnish
Rehydrate mushrooms in the 500ml hot water.
Reserve mushroom water for cooking later.
Soak beancurd skin in warm water until softened. Drain and cut into smaller pieces.
Heat pot with oil on medium high heat.
Saute garlic, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, shallot, cinnamon, and star anise until fragrant.
Pour water into pot, and add seasoning (dark soy, light soy, kicap manis, sugar, shao xing wine, 5 spice powder, and oyster sauce).
Mix to combine and bring to boil.
Add beancurd skin, tau kwa, mushrooms, and eggs.
Bring back to a boil, and allow to simmer on low heat until sauce is reduced, and ingredients takes on a brownish hue, about 20-30 minutes.
Give it a stir every now and then.
Season with salt and white pepper if needed.
Adjust seasoning to taste with more soy, salt, pepper, and/or sugar.
Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve with steamed white rice.
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