Chinese Takeout-style Tofu And Broccoli Recipe by Tasty (2024)

FAQs

How do Chinese restaurants get broccoli so crispy? ›

It's best to start with as much boiling water as you can. Restaurants serve amazingly green and crunchy Chinese broccoli because they use huge amounts of boiling water.

Press tofu and cube it. Coat it in garlic, black pepper, salt (plus more of your favourite seasonings), liquid aminos and some olive oil. Then mix it into some cornstarch and toss it all together, then bake for about 20 minutes. Cornstarch also helps to draw out excess moisture so it really gets the tofu crispy.

All parts of Chinese broccoli are edible. Before cooking, trim off the bottom end roughly half to one-inch. For thicker stems, you can dice them or slice on diagonal. The stems require longer cook time than the leafy parts so saute the stems first.

Firm tofu holds up quite well to frying and stuffing. How to Prep: Pressed, drained, salt-soaked, or frozen. Best Uses: Battered/crusted, baked, boiled, pan-fried, stir-fried, deep-fried, glazed. Like I said—it's versatile.

Chinese restaurants often incorporate garlic, ginger, and soy sauce to add depth and flavor to the broccoli. You can also add a dash of sesame oil or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for an added kick.

What to not serve with tofu? According to studies, a high volume consumption of tofu and spinach together can increase your risk of kidney stones. Tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively and the combined can form kidney stones.

Many cooking experts champion a quick soak as a way to give the protein more texture and flavor. “Simmering cubed tofu in salted water for 60 seconds pulls out excess moisture and tightens the proteins on its surface,” Lukas Volger told Bon Appétit in 2021.

Press it. Tofu contains a lot of water, and you'll want to squeeze most of it out, especially if you're baking, grilling, or frying it. I recommend using a tofu press to do this, because it gives the tofu a delicious chewy texture and makes cleanup a breeze. But having one isn't necessary.

Though Chinese broccoli has a distinct taste and texture, you can substitute it with a number of other greens, including yu choy, bok choy, and broccolini.

It's called Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)🥦! But don't get it confused with a typical broccoli. This tastes more like broccolini with similar bitter flavors. You find them at a lot of Asian grocery stores and we're going to show you how to make a Chinese Broccoli Stir fry with it!

What do Chinese people call broccoli? ›

Brocoli in standard Chinese is 西蓝花 or sometime written as 西兰花 (both pronounced as xilanhua in Mandarin). In some places, it's called 青花菜 (qing hua cai), 绿花菜 (lü hua cai) or 芥蓝花 (jie lan hua). The official name 西蓝花 literally means “west blue flower”.

Firm tofu: This tofu absorbs flavors well and can be stir-fried and pan-fried, and is also great crumbled and used in tofu scrambles. Extra-firm tofu: Consider extra-firm tofu the all-purpose tofu that holds its shape well and is excellent for slicing and cubing.

Healthier - For starters, broiling tofu is a healthier method of cooking than frying, and it requires less oil to create crispier cubes. Easy - It's also really easy to make.

Try combining baked tofu with veggies and your favorite noodles plus a premade sauce or a few seasonings for flavor. Here are some ideas: Ramen noodles with frozen Asian vegetables and light soy, tamari, Thai peanut, or vegan tikka masala sauce.

What are those crunchy things in your stir-fry? They're water chestnuts, and they're surprisingly good for you! You probably already know a few things about water chestnuts. They're white and crunchy, and you'll find them in a ton of Asian-style stir fry dishes.

You can soak the broccoli in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes or more to help it regain its firmness. Another method is to slice off a portion of the stem and place the remaining stem and crown in a pot with a cup of water. Store it in the fridge overnight, and the broccoli will be crisp and fresh in the morning.

Heat the pan over high heat. No medium-high heat here; it's the high heat that gives you quickly cooked veggies that are crisp, tender and bright. Heat the pan for a few minutes before adding the oil. When the pan is hot, add some oil and get ready to add your first vegetable.