Stir-fried Bean Sprouts with Dried Tofu (Bean Curd)
Chinese name: 如意香干 (rú yì xiāng gān)
Characteristics: The bean sprouts in Stir-fried Bean Sprouts with Dried Tofu taste fresh and crispy, while the dried bean curd in it is chewy with unique fragrance.
A popular story among the folk has it that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) had never eaten a dish which appeared glistening yellow when he was on an inspection tour in Jiangnan (the area to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River). He felt it so crispy, tender and tasty that he asked the housewife about the name. Not knowing he was the emperor, the housewife joked that the dish was named 'Ruyi Dish', since the bean sprouts in it appeared like a Ruyi (a long curved decorative amulet symbolizing power and good fortune in China). When back at the palace, Emperor Qianlong remembered 'Ruyi Dish', but the royal chef had no idea about its recipe. Later, the chef chanced upon a servant from Jiangnan, and got to know that it was actually stir-fried bean sprouts with dried tofu.
Ingredients:
200g bean sprouts
300g, 3 small pieces of dried Tofu (bean curd)
1 red chili
garlic
salt
soy sauce
white sugar
Note: the amount of the ingredients especially the seasonings listed above can be measured according to one's personal taste.
Preparation:
Wash and clean the dried tofu and red chili, and then cut into thin shreds. Place onto separate plates. Wash and clean the garlic cloves after being husked, and then cut them into thin pieces.
Methods:
| STEP 1 Pour some cooking oil into the wok, add the garlic pieces and dried tofu shreds, and turn on the heat to low. Stir-fry it for 3-5 minutes until the dried tofu shreds feel fragrant and a little hard. Add the cleaned bean sprouts, red chili shreds, salt, white sugar and soy sauce. Turn to high heat, and stir-fry 1-2 minutes when the bean sprouts feel soft. |
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| STEP 2 Turn off the heat, remove the cooked Stir-fried Bean Sprouts with Dried Tofu from the wok and serve on a fine porcelain plate. |
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Tips: If you are a tofu lover, you can also try Home-style Tofu, Celery and Dry Bean Curd or Ma Po Tofu.
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Ms. Doreen Learn to Make Dumplings
Mr. Maurice and Ms. Doreen from UK were invited to a local family in Xi'an with cooking class and had a home cooking a la carte lunch. Unlike dishes served in restaurants, this cooking class gave them the opportunity to explore a little of the Chinese way of cooking and kitchen skills. They were very interested to learn Stir-fried Bean Sprouts with Dried Tofu and make dumplings. -
Our Guests Having Dinner
Ms. Mojdeh, Mr. Sami, Ms. Soraya and Mr. Kieyan from Canada, and Ms. Mina from Spain, with great curiosity and excitement, walked into a typical family in Xi'an under the guidance of the our tour guide. They had much fun when learning to cook Stir-fried Bean Sprouts with Dried Tofu and Cola Chicken Wings from the skillful hostess. They said it was a special experience to have a meal in a private apartment. -
Edward's Family Dining in a Chinese Family
Mr. Edward, Ms. Cheryl, Mr. Alexander & Ms. Anna from USA together joined our family visit with cooking class in Xi'an. They learned to cook Cold Celery and Dry Bean Curd and Stir-fried Bean Sprouts with Dried Tofu. They were very satisfied with the meal and gave high appreciation in their feedback to us " Dear all, Here are my responses for our China tour. It was great. All of the meals were top of the line. My family is a little picky when it comes to food, but we were able to find something to eat everywhere. Also, the food prepared at the home visit in Xi'an was the best....".See details at Mr. Edward's feedback
More popular vegetable dishes in China:
Ma Po
Tofu
Spicy and Sour
Shredded Potato
Caramel
Potatoes
Green Vegetable
with Mushroom
Celery and Dry
Bean Curd