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Stuffed Fried Tofu 2

A dish of fried tofu slices stuffed with a mixture of water chestnuts, bamboo shoot, green onion, dried mushrooms, and seasonings.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 12 ingredients
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Why it works: Water chestnut and onion match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 205 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓

Stuffed Fried Tofu 2

Time20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Slice tofu into 8 slices.

  2. Wrap tofu in a cloth or paper towel to drain excess water.

  3. Wash and soak mushrooms; squeeze and chop fine, reserving water.

  4. Peel water chestnuts and mince.

  5. Chop bamboo shoot.

  6. Chop green onions fine.

Fry and stuff

  1. Fry sliced tofu in oil until golden brown.

  2. Slit the tofu, leaving 1/2 inch uncut edge.

  3. Mix all ingredients except ginger juice; if too watery, add cornstarch.

  4. Stuff each tofu slice with 1 teaspoon of stuffing.

  5. Seal with cornstarch paste (cornstarch mixed with a little water).

  6. Return stuffed tofu to the frying pan.

Simmer and serve

  1. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ginger juice, 1 cup mushroom water and mushroom stems; pour over the tofu.

  2. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

  3. Garnish with Chinese parsley before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

288Calories
21 gProtein
11 gFat
31 gCarbs

Counts 9 of 11 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 9 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Tofu100g firm76
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Mushrooms1/2 cup sliced (35g)15
Mushroom1/2 cup sliced (35g)15
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Water Chestnutnot 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. Water chestnut + oniontop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together205 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  2. Water chestnut + gingertop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together98 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  3. Tofu + gingertop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together284 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  4. Tofu + water chestnuttop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together13 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  5. Water chestnut + mushroomtop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together114 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

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

What each ingredient does

Tofu
Forms the main body and, once fried, a golden crust that holds the filling.
Gluten burger
Adds chewy, meaty bulk to the stuffing so it holds its shape when cooked.
Egg
Binds the stuffing ingredients together so they hold when cooked.
Dried mushrooms
Contribute savory aroma and flavor, and their soaking water is used in the sauce.
Water chestnuts
Add a crisp, juicy texture that contrasts with the soft filling.

The step that matters

Sealing the stuffed tofu with cornstarch paste. If the seal is weak, the stuffing can leak out during frying and simmering. Cornstarch mixed with water becomes a paste that sticks the cut edge closed.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, water chestnut, mushroom, sugar, ginger, egg, sauce):

  1. Welsh onionfits better
  2. Spinachfits better
  3. Shallotfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, water chestnut, mushroom, sugar, ginger, egg, sauce. 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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