How to cook tofu stuffed with ground pork in tomato sauce

This recipe serves about 4 to 5 people, and provides around 1,060 calories in total.

Ingredients

- 5 blocks of firm tofu

- 150 grams of ground pork

- 1 wood ear mushroom

- 3 - 4 shiitake mushrooms

- 3 - 4 tomatoes

- Shallots and green onions

- Spices: fish sauce, salt, stock powder, pepper

- Cooking oil

Instructions

1. Preparation

- Cut tofu blocks into square pieces.

- Use a sharp knife to create a square or round opening in the middle.

- Use a small spoon to carefully scoop out the tofu inside, leaving the bottom about 1-1.5 centimeters thick.

The prepared tofu has a hollowed-out center, ready to be filled with fillings later on. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Soak wood ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms, then wash and finely chop them.

- Wash and chop the scallions.

- Chop the shallots thinly.

- In a bowl, combine ground meat, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, half of the scallions and shallots.

- Mix the scooped tofu into the filling for added softness.

- Add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of stock powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

- Mix well to ensure even flavor absorption.

The meat, mushroom, tofu and shallots mixture is thoroughly combined, resulting in a thick paste. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Fill each tofu piece with the prepared mixture, gently kneading until smooth.

- Avoid pressing too hard, as it may cause the tofu to break. Repeat for all tofu pieces.

The stuffed tofu should be filled slightly above the scooped-out area. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

2. Cooking process

- Heat cooking oil in a pan and gently fry the stuffed tofu pieces until golden brown on both sides.

- An alternative method involves frying the tofu until golden brown first, then making a cut on one edge, scooping out the tofu, and then stuffing the meat later.

- Cut tomatoes into a cross shape, then blanch, peel, and either puree or chop them.

The tomatoes are blanched until the skin begins to loosen. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- In the same pan, fry the remaining shallots, then add the tomatoes.

- Season with 2 teaspoons of fish sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

- Add a little water and simmer until the tomatoes are soft.

- Place the fried tofu in the sauce and simmer for a few minutes to allow flavors to meld.

- Finally, season with 1/2 teaspoon of stock powder, sprinkle with pepper, and garnish with remaining scallions.

Adding the scallions to the tofu at the end helps preserve its green color. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

3. Final product

The tofu should hold together well, preventing the meat filling from falling out when picked up with chopsticks. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

The tofu features a firm outer layer, providing a bit of resistance when bitten into, while the inside remains soft and tender. The tomato sauce should be thick enough to coat the tofu nicely without being overly runny, making it a complement to serve with hot rice.