Firm tofu braised until golden in a deeply savoury soy and Shaoxing wine sauce with ginger, garlic, and star anise, served over wilted bok choy and steamed rice — understated, nourishing, and profoundly good.
About This Recipe
Braised tofu is one of the great underestimated preparations of Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine — a technique that transforms a supposedly flavourless ingredient into something deeply savoury, richly sauced, and texturally satisfying in a way that raw or gently cooked tofu never achieves. The key is patience at the frying stage: the tofu must be dried thoroughly, pressed if extra-firm is not available, and fried in genuinely hot oil until a proper golden-brown crust forms on each face. This crust does two important things — it provides textural contrast to the silky interior, and it creates a surface that accepts and holds the braising liquid, allowing the flavour of the sauce to penetrate deeply.
The braising liquid is a master sauce in miniature: soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, a little sugar, and star anise form the base, with ginger and garlic providing the aromatic backbone. Shaoxing wine is a fermented rice wine with a rich, slightly nutty flavour that is one of the essential ingredients of Chinese cooking and cannot be adequately replaced by dry sherry, though dry sherry is a more acceptable substitute than any other Western wine. The sauce reduces around the tofu as it braises, concentrating and caramelising into a glossy, lacquered coating.
Bok choy — the tender, mild Chinese cabbage that wilts into sweet, lightly bitter ribbons with a quick blast of heat — provides the vegetable element and ensures the dish has enough green freshness to balance the intensity of the braised tofu. Served over rice with the remaining braising sauce spooned over, this is one of the most complete and satisfying simple weeknight meals in the collection.
History & Origins
Tofu’s origins in China are traditionally dated to the Han dynasty (approximately 200 BCE), with its production spreading to Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia over subsequent centuries. In Taiwan, tofu occupies a particularly important place due to the island’s strong vegetarian Buddhist food tradition (su shih), which developed sophisticated methods for making tofu genuinely delicious without meat. The braised tofu technique in this recipe draws on the lu wei tradition of soy-braising that permeates Taiwanese street food and home cooking.
Why It’s Healthy
Firm tofu is one of the most nutritionally complete plant foods available. It provides all essential amino acids, making it a complete protein source comparable to meat. It is one of the best dietary sources of calcium (particularly when set with calcium sulphate), and provides significant iron, manganese, and selenium. The isoflavones in soy — genistein and daidzein — have been associated in research with reduced cardiovascular risk, improved bone density in post-menopausal women, and potential protective effects against hormone-sensitive cancers. Bok choy provides vitamin C, vitamin K, and glucosinolates with anti-inflammatory
Taiwanese Braised Tofu with Bok Choy and Ginger
4
servings15
minutes30
minutes340
kcalIngredients
•t400g firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into large rectangles
•t300g bok choy, halved lengthways
•t4 garlic cloves, minced
•t4cm piece ginger, julienned
•t2 star anise
•t3 tbsp soy sauce
•t2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
•t1 tbsp dark soy sauce
•t1 tsp sugar
•t150ml water
•t2 tbsp vegetable oil
•t1 tsp sesame oil
•t2 spring onions, sliced, to garnish
Directions
- Press tofu between paper towels under a heavy object for 20 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Heat vegetable oil in a wok or wide pan over high heat until smoking. Add tofu in a single layer — do not crowd.
- Fry undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until deeply golden on the base. Flip and repeat on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, reduce heat to medium. Add ginger and garlic, stir-fry 1 minute.
- Add star anise, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and water. Bring to a simmer.
- Return tofu to the pan. Braise over medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes, turning once, until sauce has reduced and coated the tofu.
- In a separate pan, blanch or stir-fry bok choy with a splash of water and pinch of salt until just wilted.
- Arrange bok choy on a plate, top with braised tofu and remaining sauce. Drizzle sesame oil over. Garnish with spring onions.
Notes
- Pressing the tofu is essential — wet tofu will not brown properly and will splatter dangerously in hot oil.
Do not move the tofu once it is in the oil — let it develop a proper crust undisturbed. Patience produces a golden, firm exterior; impatience produces pale, soft, sticky tofu.
Dark soy sauce is primarily a colouring agent — it adds a beautiful mahogany gloss to the finished dish. Do not substitute more regular soy sauce.
The braising sauce can be doubled and stored in the fridge for 2 weeks — it works brilliantly with mushrooms, aubergine, and hard-boiled eggs.
Make Ahead Tips
The tofu can be fried and the braising liquid made up to 2 days in advance, then combined and reheated gently when ready to serve. This actually improves the flavour — overnight braising allows the sauce to penetrate more deeply into the tofu. Cook the bok choy fresh at serving time for the best colour and texture.
Storage
Braised tofu keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and actually improves from day one to day two as the sauce fully penetrates the tofu. Reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of water, or microwave gently. The tofu absorbs the sauce completely on storage, so add a little extra soy sauce and water when reheating. Bok choy does not store well once cooked — make it fresh each time. The braised tofu freezes adequately for 1 month.
Serving Tips
Serve over steamed jasmine rice, allowing the braising sauce to pool in the bowl beneath the tofu. A simple soup alongside — a bowl of clear ginger broth or simple miso — completes the Taiwanese home-style meal. Sliced fresh chilli and a small dish of rice vinegar on the side allow each person to adjust the seasoning. The dish pairs beautifully with a cold Taiwanese beer or a small cup of warm Chinese oolong tea.
Variations & Substitutions
The same technique works magnificently with aubergine — cut into thick planks, fried until golden, and braised in the same sauce. Add 150g shiitake or oyster mushrooms to the braise in the final 5 minutes for a more substantial vegetable element. For a spicier version, add 1–2 tablespoons of doubanjiang (Sichuan spicy broad bean paste) to the braising liquid in place of some of the soy sauce — this produces a mala (numbing-spicy) character that is deeply addictive.
