Braised Tofu Sichuan Style (家常豆腐)

Fry the tofu

1. Slice the tofu into triangle pieces, about 2 cm (¾ inch) thick. Pat dry their surface with kitchen paper.
2. Option 1: Shallow-frying: In a flat-bottomed wok or a frying pan (preferably a deep one as it’ll be used for the braising step later), heat up oil enough to cover about half the thickness of the tofu. Test with the tip of a chopstick. If bubbles appear around it, the oil is hot enough. Gently slide in the tofu pieces one by one. Turn down the heat to medium and leave to fry. Flip over once the first side turns golden. When both sides are done, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
3. Option 2: Air-frying: Preheat the air-fryer at 200°C/390°F for 3 mins. Spray a thin layer of oil over both sides of the tofu pieces. Then put them in a single layer over the crisper tray inside the air fryer (you might need to fry in two batches). Leave to fry for about 12 mins until they become golden (the time required may vary so check at 10 mins).

Braise the dish

1. Pour out most of the oil leaving just a little in the wok/pan (If the tofu is air-fried in the last step, add 2 teaspoon of oil to a wok/pan). Fry garlic and Sichuan chili bean paste over medium heat until fragrant.
2. Add shiitake mushroom, the mushroom water, dark soy sauce and sugar. Bring it to a boil.
3. Put in the fried tofu and chili pepper. Stir around then cover with a lid. Leave to braise over low heat for 2 mins. Add a little more water if needed.
4. Pour in the starch water. Give everything a quick stir then garnish with scallions. Dish out and serve immediately.

Cook ahead

1. It takes very little time to cook this dish if you have fried tofu at hand. So I recommend you fry a big batch of tofu when time permits and store it in the fridge or freezer for later use.
2. Fried tofu can be kept in the fridge for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three months (defrost in the fridge before cooking).