Shanghai-based foodie and restaurateur Lindsey Fine (aka Veggie Mama) has been creating all sorts of delicious vegan recipes since moving to China eight years ago. You can read all about the perks of eating a plant-based diet via her blog Veggie Mama and sample recipes on this series, Cooking with Veggie Mama. In this edition, Lindsey shares her recipe for Vegan Tofu Stuffed Peppers with Spicy Black Bean Sauce.
In the not so distant past, China was a vastly different place from what we see today, and it's the rich culinary history blended with a fight for survival that has brought us to what we know and love about contemporary Chinese food.
In China, there are few cuisines that display these deep-rooted characteristics than Hakka cuisine. Although the Hakka people are Han Chinese, they possess a unique culture and with it comes a cuisine that is far from ordinary. Originating in the north and making their way south throughout the centuries, the Hakka people endured numerous hardships that eventually brought many of them to live in unforgiving environments where life was hard and food was scarce.
The Hakka people made do with what they had. They pickled and fermented, used every possible morsel of food in every way imaginable, and got creative with their cuisine. As wheat wasn't available where they settled, the Hakka stuffed vegetables and tofu instead of steamed buns. These delectable bites eventually became favorite dim sum dishes and can still be found in Cantonese food stalls and restaurants today.
These Tofu Stuffed Peppers are an homage to Hakka cuisine and are the perfect dish if you're looking to impress guests. And the best part is they are a lot easier to make than it looks!
Pro Tip: You might want to double the sauce recipe to pour on everything for the rest of the week. (It's so good, I had to remind my husband that it wasn't soup!)
Tofu Stuffed Peppers with Spicy Black Bean Sauce
Ingredients:
For the Peppers:
- 4 small green bell peppers, each cut into 4-5 segments, with the cuts being made along the seams of the peppers
- 400 grams firm tofu, pressed to remove excess water
- 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms or 4 dried Chinese mushrooms rehydrated in hot water, finely chopped
- 1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water, allow to set for 8-10 minutes)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup chickpea flour
- 2 tablespoons corn starch, plus more for dusting
- Optional: for a ‘seafood’ flavor you can add 1-2 tablespoons ground nori
- Oil for cooking
For the Sauce:
- Green parts of sliced scallions, with a bit set aside for garnish
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons black bean chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Directions:
1. Add pressed tofu to a medium bowl and mash with a fork, then add minced mushrooms, white and light green part of scallions (approximately 1/4 cup), flax egg, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, chickpea flour, corn starch and, if you're using it, ground nori. Mix until well combined. The mixture should be a little on the dry looking side. If it's too wet it will fall out of the pepper and stick to the wok while cooking.
2. Dust inside of bell pepper segments with corn starch to help the mixture stick and spoon the mixture inside, smoothing it out at the top. Don't overfill the pepper segment or it will get messy while cooking.
3. In a wok, heat a bit of oil (less than one tablespoon) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place 4-5 pepper pieces with tofu mixture side down into the wok. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is nice and brown. Reduce heat if necessary so it doesn't burn.
4. Turn the peppers over so the mixture is now on top. Add about 2 tablespoons of water to the wok and cover. This will steam the peppers as well as cook the bottom of them, so they will have a great texture and flavor.
5. Repeat the process with the remaining pepper segments.
6. Clean out the wok and heat a bit of oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently.
7. Add water, black bean chili sauce, soy sauce and corn starch mixture, increase heat to medium-high. Stir frequently until mixture becomes a bit thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
8. Assemble peppers on plate and top with sauce. Garnish with remaining sliced scallions.
Read more Cooking with Veggie Mama
[Images courtesy of Veggie Mama/Lindsey Fine]
