두부조림(Tubu Jorim) i.e. Tofu "stew"

The name says "stew" but it's more like 麻婆豆腐(Mabo Dofu) in flavor and texture, so it's more like Tofu in sauce. This dish came out really good. Can't wait to make more of this stuff!



Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:

The veggies and tofu:

A medium block of firm tofu, dices up into cubes
1 Eggplant, sliced thinly
1 bunch of えのき(enoki) mushrooms, they're the thin, long, white ones. Cut up into pieces
Oil for cooking, about 1/4 cup

For the sauce:

고추장, red pepper paste, called コチュジャン in Japanese, 1 tablespoon
고춧가루, red pepper powder, 1 tablespoon
Soy sauce, 2 tablespoons
みりん(Mirin)sweet fermented rice wine, 2 Tablespoons
Water, about 5 tablespoons

In a large fry pan (that's right, I have a frying pan now) heat up some oil over medium heat. When hot, carefully place the tofu cubes in the pan. If it starts to splatter, turn the heat down and cover. Be sure to move the pan around often so the tofu doesn't stick to the bottom. Try to fry all the sides of the tofu blocks, but it's okay if you don't. After they've all been fried lightly, leave the oil in the pan, and place the tofu in a plate with a paper towel to soak up some grease/moisture.

In the pan with the oil, add the ingredients for the sauce listed above. Cook over medium heat for a very short while, using a wooden spatula/spoon to mix the ingredients well. Add the eggplant and mushrooms and cook for a bit, about 3 minutes. Once this mixture starts to bubble, add the tofu. Bring the mixture back to a bubble, and immediately turn down the heat. Let all this bubble on low heat for about 7 to 10 minutes, to let the tofu soak up a ton of flavor. Mix it occasionally so nothing sticks.

When serving, scoop the tofu mixture out with a spoon. Use the remaining sauce in the pan to cook the Shiitake and bean sprouts in the previous recipe. If you like Mabo Dofu, you'll like this :)