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Broccoli with Five-spice Tofu

A stir-fry of tofu, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, and five-spice seasoning.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 16 ingredients
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Why it works: Shiitake and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 292 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓

Broccoli with Five-spice Tofu

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Combine shiitakes and hot water in a small bowl, cover, and let stand until softened, about 30 minutes.

  2. Drain tofu and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 3/4-inch cubes; pat dry again.

  3. In a medium bowl, combine tofu, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and five-spice powder; toss gently to coat. Cover and set aside in refrigerator.

  4. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Cut broccoli florets into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Peel tender portion of stems and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Add broccoli to boiling water and cook just until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and drain again. Set aside.

  5. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water; set aside. Remove softened shiitakes from soaking water. Strain soaking water through a filter paper-lined sieve into a medium bowl; stir in broth, brown sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Set aside. Trim and discard shiitake stems; slice caps and set aside.

Cook the tofu

  1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu mixture and cook, shaking pan and tossing tofu, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Stir-fry and serve

  1. In the same skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic, ginger, chili paste, anise seeds, and reserved shiitakes; stir-fry until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add cinnamon stick and reserved broth mixture; bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to skillet; cook, stirring, until liquid has thickened, about 30 seconds. Add carrots and reserved broccoli and cook, stirring often, until carrots are tender, about 3 minutes. Add reserved tofu and toss gently to coat. Discard cinnamon stick and serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

901Calories
32 gProtein
21 gFat
151 gCarbs

Counts 14 of 16 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 14 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Tofu100g firm76
Broccoli1 cup chopped (156g)55
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Shiitake1/2 cup (73g)34
Carrot1 medium (61g)25
Mushroom1/2 cup sliced (35g)15
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Cinnamon1 tsp ground (2.6g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Anisenot in our table0
Seednot 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. Shiitake + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together292 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  2. Broccoli + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,072 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  3. Shiitake + tofutop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together58 recipes

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

  4. Shiitake + broccolitop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together30 recipes

    Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

  5. Shiitake + mushroomtop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together552 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).

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

What each ingredient does

Extra-firm tofu
Browns on the outside while staying tender and moist inside, giving the stir-fry its main protein.
Cornstarch
Thickens the warm broth mixture into a glossy sauce that clings to the vegetables.
Dried shiitake mushrooms
Rehydrated mushrooms add savory, meaty depth and their soaking liquid adds flavor to the sauce.
Broccoli
Provides crisp-tender texture and bright color; blanching helps it keep its green color.
Soy sauce
Adds salty, savory flavor that seasons both the tofu and the sauce.
Garlic
Adds pungent aroma that mellows and sweetens as it cooks briefly in hot oil.

The step that matters

Thickening the cornstarch mixture. Cornstarch thickens only when the liquid reaches a boil, and it must be stirred in while the sauce is hot. Stirring it into a cool or under-boiled liquid leaves a thin sauce, and adding it all at once can clump.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (shiitake, mushroom, tofu, sauce, broccoli, sugar, garlic):

  1. Gingerfits better
  2. Capersfits better
  3. Thymefits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against shiitake, mushroom, tofu, sauce, broccoli, sugar, garlic. 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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