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Tofu ala Bistek

A new take on a Filipino standard.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese, Filipino
Keyword: tofu, vegan
Servings: 4
Calories: 142kcal
Author: Penny Angeles-Tan

Equipment

  • cutting board
  • wide, shallow dish or tray
  • skillet or shallow pan

Ingredients

  • 500 grams firm tofu
  • 1/3 cup light soy
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 4 tsp pancake syrup maple or corn syrup is good
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger, minced or grated
  • 1 onion, sliced into rings
  • oil for frying You want to use a neutral oil like vegetable oil

Instructions

Prepping

  • Place some paper towels on a cutting board and put the tofu on top of it and cover with another paper towel. If you have a cast-iron pan or any heavy pan, place the pan on top of the paper-covered tofu and just let it sit. The weight of the pan will press out the excess water while you work on the marinade.
  • In a bowl combine light soy, rice vinegar, syrup, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Mix and set aside.
  • Remove the heavy pan from on top of the tofu and remove the paper towels. You will notice that the towels are now wet from the water that was pressed out of the tofu.
  • Slice the tofu into thin slices (not too thin or it will just crumble!) and arrange them flat on a shallow dish or tray and pour the marinade on top. Cover and set aside for up to an hour.
  • If you are like me and you tend to forget if the waiting time is long then cover the dish/tray and put it in the ref while it is marinating.

Time to cook!

  • Place your skillet or shallow pan (a wok would also do nicely!) on the stove and heat it.
  • Place oil in the pan and once hot enough place the marinated tofu (only) flat and leave it alone to brown for a few minutes. Don't get tempted to move it around or the tofu might crumble. Allow it to brown and set. Do not throw away the marinade as you will need it later.
  • After a few minutes and the bottom is browned, gently flip each piece and brown that side, too. You can tell that the tofu is ready to flip when it starts to shrink a little and look puffy like a pillow.
  • When both sides are browned, take your sliced onion and scatter the rings on top. Pour the marinade over everything and cover for about a minute.
  • Your dish is now ready to be served and eaten. :)
    Tofu ala Bistek

Notes