Tofu Dinner

After all the rich meals we had in Paris, we needed to have an Asian food fix.  Luckily, I found some fresh tofu at the supermarket and one evening last week, we had fried tofu and a Thai green curry of chicken with some steamed jasmine rice.  The dish is something my sisters and I used to order at a small Chinese restaurant in Malate off Remedios circle called Empress Garden (I don't think it exists anymore and if it does, somebody please tell me where they moved).  My grandmother's cook Alice (who now works for my mom) then recreated the dish and this recipe is what we now use at home.   The tofu were deliciously crunchy outside and soft inside and turned out to be a good side dish for the spicy green curry.   It's easy to make and doesn't need any fancy ingredients.  Try it and you'll see (or rather eat) what I mean.

___________________________________

Fried Tofu (from Alice's recipe)

Serves 4 as a side dish 

• 2 squares of fresh firm tofu (about 400 grams)
  
• cornstarch (for dusting tofu)
  
• Panko breadcrumbs (for coating tofu)

• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
  
• 3 Tbsp. chicken stock
  
• 1 Tbsp. white sugar
  
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
  
• 1 scallion (green part only chopped finely)

• Pat the tofu dry then slice the tofu into large squares.  Dust with cornstarch then cover in Panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs.
• Heat some oil in a shallow frying pan.  Slowly pan fry the tofu in batches and brown all sides.  Drain on paper towels.
• At the same time, heat the soy sauce and chicken stock in a small saucepan.  Bring to  a boil then add the sugar and simmer until the sugar dissolves.  Toss in the toasted sesame seeds.   Add the chopped scallions.
• Top the tofu with cilantro leaves and serve with the sauce.