Family dinners under $10: 3 ways to cook tofu at home

---

SINGAPORE - With food prices going up, can you cook a family meal for $10 or less? With some effort, planning and keeping an eye out for deals, it is possible.

 

While you cannot expect opulent meals on a shoestring budget, you can still whip up decent dishes by mixing and matching ingredients, and finding different ways to cook the same ingredients.

 

Tofu is a common and economical ingredient which you can prepare in different ways. There is a variety of tofu at the supermarket.

 

Here are three ways you can turn the humble tofu into restaurant-worthy mains.

 

1. Claypot egg tofu

 

A tube of Fortune egg tofu (150g) costs $1 each at FairPrice. I got them on sale - two tubes for $1.75.

 

Some home cooks cut each tube into five pieces. I prefer to quarter it as larger pieces remain juicy and substantial after deep- frying.

 

Rice bran oil by FairPrice's house brand is available at $8.25 for a 2-litre bottle.

 

Do not discard the oil used for deep-frying the tofu as it can be reused for deep- or stir-frying.

 

For economy, I use vegetables with a little fish sauce for flavour. You can make a vegetarian version with vegetarian oyster sauce.

 

I bought the vegetables at the wet market.

 

The bunashimeji mushrooms cost $1 for a 150g pack. Snow peas ($1.50 for 150g), carrot (50 cents) and bell pepper ($2) add natural sweetness to the dish.

 

If you are on a tighter budget, used frozen mixed vegetables.

 

You can also luxe up the dish by throwing in meat or seafood such as prawn and squid.

 

Ingredients

 

• 900ml of cooking oil
• 2 tubes of egg tofu (300g), quarter each tube
• 2 Tbs cornflour
• 250ml water (reserve 2 Tbs for mixing with cornflour)
• 6g ginger, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 carrot (100g), sliced
• 150g snow peas
• 150g bunashimeji mushrooms
• 1 bell pepper (190g), cut into squares (2.5 x 2.5cm)
• 3 Tbs oyster sauce
• 1 Tbs light soya sauce
• 1 Tbs fish sauce
• Dash of ground white pepper
• 1 Tbs Shaoxing wine
• ½ tsp sesame oil

 

Method

 

1. Heat the oil in a deep-frying pan or wok over high heat.

 

2. Gently place the pieces of tofu into the oil, turn down the heat to medium and deep-fry for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

3. Turn off the heat, remove the tofu and place on kitchen paper to drain off excess oil.

 

4. In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with 2 Tbs of water. Set aside.

 

5. Heat a claypot over low heat and keep the fire on while you cook the vegetables.

 

6. In a clean frying pan, add 2 Tbs of the oil used for frying the tofu.

 

7. Add the ginger slices and fry for 30 seconds.

 

8. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.

 

9. Add the carrot and fry for 30 seconds. Then add the snow peas and stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add the mushrooms and bell pepper.

 

10. Add the oyster sauce, light soya sauce, fish sauce and ground white pepper.

 

11. Add water and stir briefly.

 

12. Once the liquid comes to a simmering boil, add the cornflour mixture and stir.

 

13. Turn off the heat and transfer the vegetable mixture into the claypot.

 

14. Add the tofu to the claypot.

 

15. Bring the mixture to a simmering boil.

 

16. Add the Shaoxing wine and sesame oil.

 

17. Cover and turn off the heat.

 

18. Serve hot.

 

Serves four

 

2. Crispy tofu with preserved lettuce

 

This is a restaurant-worthy dish that should have your family members mopping it up with rice.

 

If the dish is well-received, you can consider using one more 300g pack of tofu, with a little more oyster sauce or light soya sauce.

 

Save the oil used to deep-fry the egg tofu to cook this dish. It is best to use Chinese tofu, which is ideal for frying. Drain excess water from the packaging to minimise splatters when you place the tofu into the hot oil.

 

The usual price for Fortune Chinese tofu at FairPrice is 95 cents for a 300g pack. I paid a sale price of $1.85 for two 300g packs.

 

The fresh minced pork is from a wet market stall, which sells pork collar mince. The minimum amount to buy is 200g for $3. I use 100g for this recipe and save the rest for a separate vegetable dish.

 

Preserved lettuce costs $1.65 for a 180g jar at FairPrice. I got mine at a provision shop for $1.80 - I think of it as doing my part to support small businesses in my neighbourhood.

 

Ingredients

 

• 1.2 litres of cooking oil
• 2 packs of Chinese tofu (600g)
• 1½ Tbs cornflour
• 120ml water (reserve 1½ Tbs to mix with cornflour)
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 100g minced pork
• 2 shiitake mushrooms (30g), diced coarsely
• 1 jar of pickled lettuce (drained weight is 110g), coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbs oyster sauce
• 1 tsp light soya sauce
• ¼ tsp dark soya sauce
• Dash of ground white pepper
• 1 stalk of spring onion (finely sliced)

 

Method

 

1. Heat the oil in a deep-frying pan or wok over high heat.

 

2. Remove the Chinese tofu from the packaging and drain excess water.

 

3. Gently place the tofu into the hot oil and deep-fry over medium heat for 10 minutes.

 

4. Use a metal spatula to gently turn the tofu over and fry for another seven minutes until golden brown.

 

5. Turn off the heat and remove the tofu from the oil using a frying strainer.

 

6. Allow the excess oil to drain off, then arrange the tofu on a serving plate. Set aside.

 

7. In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with 1½ Tbs of water. Set aside.

 

8. In a clean frying pan, with the heat on high, heat 2 Tbs of the oil used for frying the tofu.

 

9. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.

 

10. Add the minced pork and fry for 30 seconds.

 

11. Then add the mushrooms and pickled lettuce.

 

12. Stir-fry briefly and add the remaining water.

 

13. Add the oyster sauce, light soya sauce and dark soya sauce.

 

14. Once the sauce comes to a simmering boil, add the cornflour mixture.

 

15. Stir and allow the mixture to come to a simmer.

 

16. Add the white pepper.

 

17. Simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce.

 

18. Turn off the heat and spoon the mixture over the tofu.

 

19. Garnish the dish with spring onion.

 

20. Serve hot.

 

Serves four

 

3. Tofu with century egg

 

This dish makes a good appetiser or a light meal on its own.

 

I bought the century eggs (80 cents each) at a provision shop.

 

Japanese silken tofu works best for this dish. I like the ones from Fortune, which cost 95 cents for a 300g pack. I got them at a discounted price of $1.85 for two packs. Look for the ones that are divided into two servings.

 

Get thawed tobiko (flying fish roe) at supermarket sushi counters. These are usually priced between $6 and $7, depending on the weight. I paid $6.70 for a 70g pack at Meidi-Ya Supermarket.

 

You can use more than a teaspoon for each serving of tofu. Save the remainder to garnish salads or cold noodles, but use up quickly and do not re-freeze.

 

Ingredients

 

• 2 century eggs (140g)
• 6 Tbs deep-roasted sesame dressing
• 2 tsp mirin
• 1 tsp sake
• 4 pieces of Japanese silken tofu (600g)
• 4 tsp tobiko (flying fish roe)
• 1 stalk of spring onion, finely sliced

 

Method

 

1. Slice one century egg into 1cm cubes. Set aside.

 

2. In a food processor or blender, add the remaining century egg, sesame dressing, mirin and sake. Blend until smooth.

 

3. Remove the tofu from its packaging and drain off excess water.

 

4. Place each piece of tofu in an individual serving bowl.

 

5. For each serving, add 1½ Tbs of the century egg sauce, ¼ of the cut century egg and 1 tsp of tobiko.

 

6. Garnish with spring onion.

 

7. Serve immediately.

 

Serves four

 

• Follow Hedy Khoo on Instagram and Straits Times Food on Instagram and Facebook
• In this new series, STFood Online Editor Hedy Khoo trawls wet markets and supermarket aisles for new ways to whip up tasty, nutritious and economical meals for your family.

 

Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.

 

---

ALL views, content, information and/or materials expressed / presented by any third party apart from Council For Third Age, belong strictly to such third party. Any such third party views, content, information and/or materials provided herein are for convenience and/or general information purposes only. Council For Third Age shall not be responsible nor liable for any injury, loss or damage whatsoever arising directly or indirectly howsoever in connection with or as a result of any person accessing or acting on any such views, content, information and/or materials. Such third party views, content, information and/or materials do not imply and shall not be construed as a representation, warranty, endorsement and/or verification by Council For Third Age in respect of such views, content, information and/or materials.