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Chinese-style Sautéed Tofu

A stir-fry of tofu and ground pork flavored with ginger, garlic, bean paste, and sesame oil.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 13 ingredients
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Why it works: Tofu and sesame match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 250 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Chinese-style Sautéed Tofu

Time2 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the tofu

  1. Cut tofu into 1 ½‑inch square pieces, then cut each piece into two triangles. Pat dry.

  2. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet. Fry tofu until golden brown. Remove tofu from pan and drain, leaving only 2 tablespoons of oil.

Make the sauce

  1. Add ground pork to the skillet; fry until the pink is gone.

  2. Add bean paste, minced garlic, and minced ginger.

  3. Add soup stock, then add the browned tofu.

  4. Cover and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.

  5. Add salt and sugar; bring to a low boil.

  6. Make a paste of cornstarch and water; add to the mixture and stir until thickened.

Serve

  1. Serve garnished with chopped green onions.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1111Calories
49 gProtein
47 gFat
121 gCarbs

Counts 10 of 13 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 10 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Pork100g cooked242
Sesame1 tbsp (14g)120
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Tofu100g firm76
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Beannot in our table0
Soupnot in our table0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Tofu + sesametop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together250 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  2. Garlic + oniontop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  3. Sesame + oniontop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,192 recipes

    Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).

  4. Ginger + sesametop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,531 recipes

    Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

  5. Garlic + sesametop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,000 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Tofu
Browned on the outside, it gives the dish its main body and a contrasting golden texture.
Ground pork
Adds savory meaty flavor and fat that carries the seasonings through the dish.
Hot bean paste
Brings salty, spicy, fermented depth that flavors the sauce.
Cornstarch
Thickens the sauce as it heats, so it clings to the tofu and pork.

The step that matters

Browning the tofu in hot oil. Tofu holds a lot of surface water, so it must be patted dry and fried in hot oil; otherwise it steams and turns soft and pale instead of crisp and golden.

Swap the ginger

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, pork, garlic, sugar, sesame, onion):

  1. Gingerthe original
  2. Cuminfits about as well
  3. Turmericfits less well
  4. Corianderfits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, pork, garlic, sugar, sesame, onion. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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