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Stinky tofu: photo of the dish
Illustrative photo: The original uploader was Richy at Chinese Wikipedia. — CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everyday meals

Stinky tofu

Tofu fermented in a brine of herbs and vegetables, with a very strong smell but a savoury taste. It is crispy outside and creamy inside, often sold as street food with a spicy sauce.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Saumure

Sauce

Spices & seasoning

Optional extras

On the side

Instructions

  1. Bring the water to the boil with the spring onion, cabbage, bamboo shoots, garlic, ginger and salt, then simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Let the brine cool completely, then strain it into a clean jar.
  3. Cut the tofu into large cubes and place them in the brine, making sure they are submerged.
  4. Close the jar and leave to ferment at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, until the smell is well developed.
  5. Drain the cubes and pat them dry on kitchen paper.
  6. Heat the oil to 180 °C and fry the cubes for 3 to 4 minutes, until the surface is golden and crispy.
  7. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and chili sauce, then drizzle over the pieces just before serving.

Variations and tips

Mild version. Reduce the chili sauce to half a spoon and add a little sugar for a rounder flavour.

Using what's available here. The bamboo can be replaced with radish greens or simply left out of the brine without much change.

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Original Ecomely recipe.