Crispy Tofu Gua Bao

I was told that January was supposed to be the slow month for food blogging. The Mondays of months I guess. But that’s a whole load of LIES! I was hoping I could slowly ease into the year. Be a responsible adult and get a head of my taxes. Instead I’m baking shortbread cookies for my first magazine feature today and developing 17 recipes within the next 2 weeks for a fun project that’s taking me to Shanghai next month! We’re going to be eating good for the next two weeks : )

I’m super thankful for all the amazing projects in the pipeline, so I’m not complaining! I sure hope Reuben and come with me to Shanghai so that we can split a ji dan bing!

Great, now I’m hungry thinking about all the tasty things I’m going to try and fit in my belly while in China. Good thing I still have some steamed buns in the freezer and a block of firm tofu in the fridge just asking me to fry up!

Today I’m sharing a super easy and satisfying recipe for Crispy Tofu Gua Bao! Gua Bao is typically made with pork belly - SO Delicious btw. But I’m a huge sucker for anything involving fried tofu. I love it in banh mi and I love it even more in gua bao!

The crispy coating of the tofu (thanks to a blend of rice flour and cornstarch) is a delightful foil to the soft fluffy steamed bun. Adding a little bundle of tangy cabbage slaw and thinly sliced carrots take the texture level up a notch while also adding some much needed acidity and brightness! I also like to squirt some hoisin and Sriracha on these bad boys for a little extra flava!

I also included a recipe a homemade gua bao because homemade is always best! If you don’t have time to make your own buns, next best thing is to find a local dim sum shop or Chinese bakery that sells them frozen. BUT if you’re not close to any such shop or bakery, the frozen packaged variety found at the grocery store is totally fine! I’ve just had a lot of bad luck with frozen packaged buns in the past. The texture is always so tough and they taste similar to cardboard… so now when I make a batch of buns I also freeze a bunch so I have them at the ready for whenever a gua bao craving strikes! Which is like almost every other day : )

Crispy Tofu Gua Bao

makes 12 bao

materials:

2 blocks of firm tofu
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
vegetable oil for frying
hoisin - for serving
sriracha - for serving
12 store bought or homemade gua bao buns (recipe below)
red cabbage salad (recipe below)

steps:

1. Remove tofu from the package (drain excess water), wrap the tofu blocks in paper towels or clean kitchen towels, and place on a plate. Place a heavy skillet or pot over the tofu to press out excess moisture. Allow the tofu to drain for 30 minutes.

2. Add 1/2” of oil to a skillet and heat over medium high heat.

3. While the oil is heating up, unwrap the tofu and cut each block into 6 equal slices - 12 slices total.

4. Combine cornstarch, rice flour, and salt in a shallow dish. Whisk to combine. Working with one slice of tofu at a time, lay the slice into the starch mixture to evenly coat one side. Flip to coat the other side. Shake off any excess starch and then gently lay into the hot oil. The oil should sizzle immediately. Repeat with remaining slices of tofu.

5. Avoid over crowding the skillet of oil - place about 4-5 slices in the oil at a time. Fry on one side for 4 minutes until crispy. Flip and fry the other side for 3 more minutes. Remove the tofu from the oil and place on a paper towel lines plate. Fry remaining tofu.

6. To assemble your buns, smear a bit of hoisin and sriracha in each bun. Place a slice of tofu and a little bunch of red cabbage slaw in the bun and enjoy!

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Red Cabbage Slaw

materials:

6 cup shredded red cabbage
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

steps:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss to combine. Allow the cabbage slaw to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

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Gua Bao Buns

makes 16 buns

materials:

1 cup warm water
1 tsp active yeast
250g (~2 cups) cake flour
125g (~1 cup) bread flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

oil for brushing

1. Sprinkle yeast into the warm water and stir. Allow the yeast to activate for 5-10 minutes, until small bubbles start to form on the surface.

2. Combine flours, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your standmixer fitted with a dough hook. Pour the water into the bowl and start mixing on low for 1-2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and knead for another 7-8 minutes, until a smooth dough ball is formed. Alternatively, you can knead by hand for 10 minutes.

3. Grease a large bowl with a bit of oil and add the dough to the bowl. Toss the dough in the oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to proof for 2 hours in a warm spot or overnight in the fridge, until doubled in size.

4. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for 1 minute on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a log 16”-18” log and divide into 16 equal pieces of dough. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball by stretching and pinching the ends of the dough underneath. Continue to use flour if the dough starts to stick.

5. Take one portion of dough and roll out into a 5” round. Brush the dough with oil and then fold in half. Place bun on a square of parchment paper. Repeat process with remaining buns.

6. Arrange the buns in a steamer basket. Give about 1” of free space between each bun. Steam over high steam for 15 minutes and enjoy.

recipe notes:

Once steamed, these buns freeze beautifully! Place steamed buns on a baking tray and place in the freezer. Once frozen, place buns in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Steam for 5-8 minutes to reheat.