Steamed Tofu with Mushrooms

This is an excellent vegetarian dish to make if you want a light meal; packed with bold flavours from ginger and sesame oil. It's easy to make and requires no less than 15 minutes cooking time. I like to serve it on a bed of brown rice and stir fry bok-choy for a good crunch. In this recipe, I use dried shitake mushrooms and black wood ear fungus. If you have never cooked with wood ear fungus, you will love it! It has woody flavour and cruncy texture. It's commonly used in Asian cooking such as salads, stir fries and soups. I usually use silken tofu for steaming as it has soft and velvety texture. Happy Steaming!

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 4 

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 dried shitake mushrooms
• 1 pack (454 g) silken tofu
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 thumb sized ginger
• 1 green onion
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
 

METHOD: 

1. Soak dried shitake mushrooms and black wood ear fungus in hot boiling water for 20 minutes. Once soft, slice shitake thinly and cut the fungus into bite-sized pieces
2. Slice ginger into thin julienne strips and slice green onions diagonally 
3. Meanwhile, cut the tofu into desired thickness and place into heat-proof dishware
4. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, shitake and wood ear fungus together 
5. Layer the tofu with seasoned mushrooms with its sauce, ginger, chopped garlic and green onions
6. Steam for 10 minutes 

Note: If you do not have a steamer, you can place the tofu in a baking tray, covered with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes.