Many dishes that we eat at home are Hakka inspired because of my grandma. Hakka is a Chinese ethnic group in southern China and some of the traditional dishes include steamed eggplant and stuffed peppers. When we stuff tofu, peppers, and eggplant, we usually use a pork and shrimp filling. But since we already did that for jalapenos, I wanted to show you a shrimp paste version!
This simple dish tastes sweet and savory! Its so silky smooth from the tofu and sauce added on top. You can eat this by itself or with rice and vegetables. Hope you enjoy this classic Hakka style dish!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR YOUR STUFFED TOFU:
- egg tofu (firm tofu works great too!)
- large shrimp
- salt
- sugar
- white pepper
- corn starch
- olive oil
- green onion
sauce:
- water
- oyster sauce
- soy sauce
- corn starch
- chicken bouillon (optional, can sub with salt)
STEPS TO MAKE THE STUFFED TOFU
- Chop and mince shrimp until it becomes a paste.
- In a large bowl, add shrimp paste, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp corn starch, 1/2 tbs olive oil, and sliced green onions. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- Slice egg tofu 2 inches thick. Gently place on a steaming plate. Using a small spoon, scoop little bit out of the center. You can eat the leftover tofu or use it in soup 🙂
- Sprinkle little bit of corn starch on the tofu. This helps the filling stick to the tofu. Place 1 teaspoon of shrimp filling to the center of the tofu and gently press it down (helps the filling stick more!).
- Steam the tofu on high heat for 7-8 minutes.
- While the tofu is steaming, you can make the delicious sauce. In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tbs oyster sauce, 1/2 tbs soy sauce, 1/2 tbs oyster sauce, 2 tsp corn starch, and 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon until well combined. Add sauce to small pot and heat on low-medium heat. Continuously stir until the sauce has thickened. Its done when it has a thicker consistency (3-4 minutes).
- Add sauce on the hot stuffed tofu and hope you enjoy!
Stuffed Tofu – Hakka Inspired
Tender shrimp paste is stuffed in silk smooth tofu with a savory sauce added on top!
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 2 egg tofu can sub with firm tofu
- 8 large shrimp peeled & de-veined
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pinch of white pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon corn starch
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ green onion thinly sliced
sauce
- ½ cup water
- ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon optional – sub with salt
Instructions
- Chop and mince shrimp until it becomes a paste.
- In a large bowl, add shrimp paste, 1 tsp salt, pinch of white pepper, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp corn starch, 1/2 tbs olive oil, and sliced green onions. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- Slice egg tofu 2 inches thick. Gently place on a steaming plate. Using a small spoon, scoop little bit out of the center. You can eat the leftover tofu or use it in soup 🙂
- Sprinkle little bit of corn starch on the tofu. This helps the filling stick to the tofu. Place 1 teaspoon of shrimp filling to the center of the tofu and gently press it down (helps the filling stick more!).
- Steam the tofu on high heat for 7-8 minutes. Pour out excess water after steaming. Be careful the plate is really hot!
Make Sauce
- While the tofu is steaming, you can make the delicious sauce. In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tbs oyster sauce, 1/2 tbs soy sauce, 1/2 tbs oyster sauce, and 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon until well combined. Add sauce to small pot and heat on low-medium heat. Continuously stir until the sauce has thickened. Its done when its thick (3-4 minutes).
- Add sauce on the hot stuffed tofu and hope you enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cookwithdanaa on instagram to show me your beautiful creations!
I love it! And my mom loved it too! I had to make do with some missing ingredients. Just a few but it was still delicious. I did my little happy dance when I ate it! My family is Chinese-Vietnamese, but a big part of my Chinese heritage is lost. I am pretty sure we are not Haka Chinese but still, thank you for sharing. It made me feel warmed.
Hi Qui Binh, thank you so much for your lovely comment. It truly warms my heart that you had a delicious meal with your mom. I will share more hakka recipes ◡̈
There was too much salt with the prawn mix and I put in less than 1 teaspoon…
Thanks Leona for the feedback! I added more salt because the tofu doesn’t have much flavoring. I think I definitely like things on the saltier side haha