Tofu and fermented black bean stir fry

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp garlic chilli paste
• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fermented black beans, roughly chopped
• ½ white onion, thinly sliced
• 150 g firm tofu, cut into 5 mm-thick slices
• 100 ml shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
• 125 ml (½ cup) white wine
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) soy sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp butter
• 60 g baby spinach leaves
• 185 g (1 cup) hot cooked brown rice

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli paste, chilli and fermented black beans and stir for a few minutes or until fragrant.
2. Add the onion and stir until just softened, then add the tofu and gently stir to combine.
3. Add the rice wine, white wine, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and a splash of water. Cover and cook over high heat, stirring regularly for 10–15 minutes. You're trying to get as much flavour as possible into the tofu, so keep on adding more liquid if necessary during cooking to get enough to make a good tasty sauce.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the egg in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Add the butter to a large frying pan over high heat. When foaming, pour in the egg, tilting the pan to cover the base evenly with egg mixture. Cook for 30 seconds, then turn the omelette out onto a work surface, roll up into a log and cut into thick strands.
5. When the tofu sauce is cooked to your liking, remove from the heat. Put the spinach on top, then cover with a lid and stand for a couple of minutes or until wilted, gently stirring occasionally. Taste the final mix and add more soy to taste (the spinach can soak up a lot of flavour).
6. Serve the hot tofu on top of the hot brown rice, scattered with the sliced omelette.

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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