STIR FRIED BOK CHOY WITH TOFU SKIN (腐皮青菜)
What is the skin of tofu? When soy milk is cooked, a thin film layer appears on the surface. As the film that forms on top of dairy milk when heated, tofu skin is the vegan equivalent of that layer of film.
Look for its various Chinese names, including 腐皮 (fu-pi), 腐衣(fu-yi), and 腐竹 (fu-zhu). Tofu sheets, tofu sticks, “bean curd sheets,” and “bean threads” are all English names for the product.
Large fresh sheets are available, which can be cut, dried, or knotted. Of course, each has its own set of uses.
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 tbsp. of oil
- 1 tsp. of ginger (minced)
- 5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- ¾ pound of bok choy (thoroughly washed and drained)
- 1 tsp. of salt (or to taste)
- ½ tsp. of sugar
- 2 tsp. of sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tbsp. of water
- ½ pack of fresh tofu skin (cut into bite-sized pieces, about 2 cups)
- 1 tsp. of cornstarch (dissolved in 2 tablespoons water)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a wok, heat the oil to medium-high heat. Before adding the garlic, saute the ginger for about 30 seconds.
- Add the bok choy and raise the heat to high after a few seconds. Everything should be mixed and fried at the same time. Toss in the white pepper and salt when the bok choy has started to lose its crispness.
- Afterward, add the water and the new tofu skins. Keep your hands still! Tofu skin should be kept on top of the bok choy so that it doesn’t come into contact with the wok when cooking (or it will stick)—steam for one minute with the cover on the wok.
- After that, remove the cover, add the cornstarch mixture, and gently stir to combine.