Braised Tofu (두부찜): Vegetarians can braise too!

While starting Daughters on solid foods, I made the conscious decision to feed them vegetarian. I was heavily influenced by the book Super Baby Food and it made me want to really focus on other sources of non-animal protein - legumes and soy. Due to Son's allergies however, I have been unable to do this for him, although it would have been my first choice. For Daughters however, it has made them tremendous eaters - from enjoying all sorts of non-animal based proteins like soy and legumes and great consumers of dark green vegetables and fruit. One of the key staples in their diet from the very early stages was tofu. As babies, they just enjoyed boiled tofu plain, or cold tofu plain mixed with vegetables and rice and a series of variations on a tofu theme. But as they grew older, they wanted something with more flavor and more complex, and so I turned to this dish that my mother used to make me when I was little. (I am also an extreme tofu lover.)

The basics of the dish: you take firm tofu, slice it, pan fry it (which changes the texture), and then braise it in a soy, sesame, water, garlic liquid. What you end up with is a rich flavored, wonderfully textured slice of tofu -and incidentally, Daughter #1 can eat more than 1/2 of a traditional pack of tofu prepared this way, all on her own! It is relatively fast, and since you are braising tofu and not beef or chicken, the braising part is actually finished in less than 15 minutes.

Braised Tofu (두부찜)

1 pack of firm tofu, cut in half lengthwise, and then sliced into 1/2 inch slices
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use canola or safflower)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (gochugahloo - less or more depending on your spice tolerance.)
1 teaspoon crushed toasted sesame seed

In a heavy fry pan, heat over medium heat and add oil. Carefully add tofu slices (it can splatter so watch out!) and do not overcrowd the pan. Carefully fry tofu until it is crisp and golden brown on one side, and then flip it over to cook the other side. About 2-3 minutes per side. When they are golden, remove them from the fry pan and put on a plate. Continue until all the tofu is cooked. (This photograph is not the BEST representation of my fried tofu, but I was dealing with a sick child when I took this, so I "overcooked" some...you want golden brown not crunchy brown)

In a medium sized pot, add soy sauce, water, sesame oil, green onions, chopped garlic and chili powder. Give a quick mix. Carefully lay tofu slices into the pot.
Continue until you have added all the tofu. I try and place the tofu in a circular fashion. Do NOT worry that the braising liquid is not covering the tofu - during the cooking process it will eventually cover all of it. (Tofu releases some liquid and boiling causes the tofu to get covered.)

Place the pot over medium heat. Cover. Cook for 15 minutes over medium heat.

Serve hot!

Printable recipe