Stir-fried Tofu with Bean Sprouts and Chives

My mother has always said that the first person to eat a lobster must have been incredibly hungry. I've often thought the same about tofu. Whoever thought that bean curd would be a tasty idea... That said, I could probably wonder the same thing about the first person to eat blue cheese.

And so it was that I long avoided tofu like that plague, until I moved to Brookline and started seeing expertly cooked fried tofu in the many Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai restaurants in my neighborhood. I finally began to realize that there might be to more tofu than a slimy, unappetizing replacement for meat. But I still wasn't ready to start cooking it myself. Until today, when I had a day off from work and the impending doom of another semester of school bearing down on me.

I was pretty positive that my first attempt cooking tofu would not be something that I would wish to inflict on others, so I decided to make a singular portion for lunch. I'm a great fan of Wendy Hutton's Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass, so I decided to start there with a recipe that looked relatively easy.

In the end, it wasn't pretty. My tofu was not "golden brown," my bean sprouts were gray, and my garlic slivers were burnt to a crisp. But it was DELICIOUS. I still have no idea how, but it worked. It was easy, it was quick, it was relatively healthy, and it was a technique that I can only improve on in the future. Tofu phobia, you have been defeated.


Stir-fried Tofu with Bean Sprouts and Chives
adapted from Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass by Wendy Hutton
*for 1 lunch portion or 3-4 side portions

1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp peanut oil
1 clove garlic, cut into slivers
roughly 13 oz extra firm tofu (half a standard block)
3 scallions - cut into 1"+ pieces
handful chives - cut into 1"+ pieces
7 oz mung bean sprouts (roughly 1/4 to 1/3 of a bag)
3/4 tbsp fish sauce
3/4 tbsp sugar
sprinkle with salt and pepper

- Rinse and drain tofu. Cut into 1/2" cubes and allow to dry.
- Remove ends of sprouts, rinse in a colander, and drain.
- Heat wok over medium-high and add oil.
- Add garlic and stirfry for a few seconds.
- Add tofu and stir-fry 3 to 5 minutes until crisp (and "golden brown").
- Lower heat slightly and add scallions and chives. Stirfry for 30 seconds.
- Add bean sprouts and stirfry for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle sugar, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Stirfry another 30 seconds.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.

The original recipe recommends serving over rice, which would probably increase the number of servings. I thought it was just fine on its own.