How to Make Vietnamese Stuffed Tofu with Pork
Stuffed tofu with pork in tomato sauce is not difficult to make. With a little care when stuffing the pork inside, you can keep the tofu intact without breaking it.
Ingredients
- 2 tofu blocks
- 100g ground pork
- 2g wood ear mushrooms
- 2g shiitake mushrooms
- 3 shallots
- 3 tomatoes
- Scallions
- Common seasoning
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients
Preparing the tofu:
Cut each block of tofu into 2-3 pieces, depending on the size, so that each piece is about the size of a matchbox. Use a sharp knife to carve out a circle or square in the center of each piece. Then, use a small spoon to remove the inside of the tofu.
When carving out the tofu, be careful to only remove about 1/2 the depth of the block. Avoid going too deep, as this will make the bottom of the tofu too thin and prone to breaking when stuffed.
Preparing the other ingredients:
Peel and finely chop the shallots.
Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges or dice them into small cubes.
Wash and cut the scallions into 1 cm pieces.
Soak the wood ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms in warm water. Once softened, rinse them thoroughly and chop them finely.
Season the Pork Filling
Place the ground pork in a bowl, along with the chopped wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, a little scallion, and some of the chopped shallots. Season the filling with 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, then mix well. Let the filling sit for 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.
To prevent the filling from drying out, add 1 teaspoon of cooking oil when seasoning the pork. Alternatively, you can use an egg, but be careful with the quantity to avoid making the filling too soft.
Stuff the Tofu
Fill each tofu piece with the pork filling, taking care not to pack the filling too tightly or too loosely. The filling should rise about 1 cm above the surface of the tofu.
Lightly Fry the Tofu
Heat a small amount of oil in a pan. Once hot, lightly fry the tofu pieces. This step helps hold the shape of the tofu and prevents the filling from falling out during cooking.
Cook the Stuffed Tofu in Tomato Sauce
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a pan. Once hot, sauté the remaining chopped shallots. Add the tomatoes and stir-fry, seasoning with a little salt to enhance the flavor and help soften the tomatoes faster.
Once the tomatoes have softened into a smooth sauce, gently add the stuffed tofu pieces and adjust the seasoning to taste. Cover the pan and simmer the tofu in the sauce for another 3-4 minutes, then add the scallions and cook for another 10 seconds before turning off the heat.
Transfer the stuffed tofu to a plate, and sprinkle a little ground pepper on top for extra flavor. Serve hot.
