Eight Treasure Tofu Recipe

Drain and press tofu

Wrap the tofu block in clean kitchen towels or paper towels and place a weighted cutting board or heavy skillet on top. Press for 20–30 minutes to remove excess moisture.

Cut and coat

After pressing, cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes. Toss the cubes gently with 1 tsp salt and 3 tbs cornstarch until evenly coated; shake off excess cornstarch.

Pan-fry tofu

Heat 4 tablespoons neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add tofu cubes in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and fry 3–4 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Transfer fried tofu to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Prep vegetables

While tofu presses or fries, rinse and slice all vegetables: halve baby corn if large, trim snow peas, slice shiitake, julienne carrot, drain and slice water chestnuts and bamboo shoots, and thinly slice scallions. Mince garlic and ginger.

Quick-blanch (optional)

For crisper color and quicker stir-frying, bring a pot of water to a boil, blanch snow peas and baby corn for 30–45 seconds, then plunge into ice water and drain well. This step is optional but recommended.

Stir-fry aromatics & vegetables

Wipe the skillet/wok clean and return to medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon oil. Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry 15–20 seconds until fragrant. Add shiitake and carrots and stir 1–2 minutes. Add bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, baby corn and snow peas; stir-fry another 1–2 minutes so vegetables are crisp-tender.

Combine sauce ingredients

In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup vegetable stock, 2 tbs light soy sauce, 1 tbs oyster or mushroom sauce, 1 tbs mirin or Shaoxing, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp white pepper until sugar dissolves.

Make slurry

Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water in a small cup until smooth; set aside.

Finish with sauce

Pour the sauce mixture into the wok with the vegetables and bring to a simmer. Stir the cornstarch slurry once and slowly drizzle into the simmering sauce while stirring; cook for 30–60 seconds until sauce thickens and becomes glossy.

Return tofu

Add the fried tofu cubes to the wok and gently toss (or fold) to coat them with the sauce and vegetables; cook 1–2 minutes so tofu heats through and absorbs sauce.

Finish

Drizzle 1 teaspoon sesame oil over the dish, toss once more to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning — add a pinch more salt or 1/2–1 tsp soy sauce if needed.

Garnish and serve

Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro (if using) and scatter sliced scallion tops. Serve immediately with steamed rice or noodles.