Claypot Tofu

Claypot tofu (煲仔豆腐) is a favourite local tze char dish. It’s easy to cook and makes a healthy one-dish casserole to serve with rice.

More Claypot Recipes:

I have cooked various versions of this claypot dish: meatless (this recipe), with seafood (such as prawns, squid and scallop) or with meat (such as shabu shabu pork, chicken or roast pork) depending on my mood.

Claypot Tofu Vegetables Recipe
For best results, add the fried tofu to the casserole of cooked vegetables only when ready to serve so that the tofu won’t be soggy from soaking in the gravy too long.

Fried Tofu
The deep-fried tofu is my favourite part of the dish. To me, the vegetables are the supporting cast!

Claypot Tofu Vegetables Recipe
This recipe is a good chance to clear the fridge of assorted vegetables and mushrooms.

Claypot Tofu Recipe

You may use any seasonal vegetables available at your market.
You can also add seafood or meat to this basic meatless recipe if desired.
For best results, serve the dish in a claypot and stir in the deep-fried tofu only when ready to serve.

Ingredients:

  • 1 x 300g box firm (pressed) tofu cut into 16 pieces and pat dry on paper towel
  • vegetable (example peanut or canola) oil for deep frying
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil for stir frying
  • 5 slices ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • cornstarch solution combine 2 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water
  • chopped spring onions or coriander leaves for garnishing

Vegetables

  • 8 dried shiitake mushrooms* soaked in hot water until softened, stems discarded
  • 3 baby corn slice to 2 or 3 sections diagonally
  • half carrot sliced thinly (optional: cut to flower design)
  • 1 king mushroom sliced thinly
  • 3 napa cabbage leaves cut to 2 cm width
  • 50g broccoli florets
  • 50g cauliflower florets
  • 8 snow peas or sugar-snap peas break off the ends and pull off the “strings”

* use quick cooking type of dried mushrooms. Alternatively, you can use fresh shiitake mushrooms (no soaking required)

(A) Sauce

  • 300 ml chicken stock
  • 200 ml water
  • 1/4 tsp dark soy sauce use more if you want a darker colour for the gravy
  • 3/4 tsp light soy sauce to taste
  • 1/2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp Chinese wine (hua diao/shao xing wine)
  • 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a small pot to 180°C (356°F). If small bubbles gather when a chopstick is inserted into the oil, it is ready. Add cut tofu to the hot oil and deep fry until golden brown. Remove and drain them on paper towel or tempura paper. Set aside.
  2. Heat oil in wok. Stir fry ginger and garlic briefly until aromatic. Add mushrooms, baby corn and carrots. Stir fry for a few minutes until they start to soften.
  3. Add the rest of the vegetables (napa cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and snow peas) with a small splash of water. Stir fry briefly until the cabbage starts to soften.
  4. Add sauce (A), cover with lid and simmer for a few minutes. Thicken the sauce with cornstarch solution gradually until desired texture is reached (semi-thick like maple syrup; you do not need to use all of it).
  5. Transfer contents and reheat in a claypot. Just before serving, stir in fried tofu and garnish with spring onions or coriander.
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