Taufu Pok Recipe: A Perfect Blend of Crisp and Juiciness!
Puffed taufu is a versatile ingredient that can be prepared in a lot of different ways. While many people love it stir-fried, I prefer this Taufu Pok recipe with a thickened sauce and various aromatics. The addition of minced fish and pork meat also elevates the flavor of the dish.
Stuffing the taufu with the marinated meat and fish and then combining the fried taufu with the sauce take a bit of patient preparation. Let me show you the intricate steps so that you can make this dish at home with ease. I will start with the recipe overview and the list of ingredients.
Table of Contents
Taufu Pok Recipe Overview
The preparation time for this dish is a bit higher than other stir-fried taufu dishes. Here is the overview of the recipe we are going to make today.
| Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 30 minutes | |||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories |
| 2 persons | 20 minutes | 10 minutes | 426 kcal |
Ingredients Needed for the Taufu Pok Recipe
Taufu, pork meat, and fish are the key ingredients in this recipe. I will also use a bunch of aromatics and sauces to spice things up. Check the list of ingredients below.
Main Ingredients for the Recipe
- Puffed Taufu: Take about 300g of puffed taufu. Square taufu is the best for this recipe because it will hold more filling compared to round taufu.
- Fish: Any fish of your choice. Take 200g of fish fillet.
- Pork Meat: I am using the same amount of pork meat as the fish. Incorporate a bit of pork fat to make the filling juicier.
- Ginger: 1 tsp of minced ginger
- Garlic: 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- Cordyceps Flower: 20g of dried cordyceps flower, finely chopped. It will add some earthy flavor and improve the nutritional value of the dish.
- Peanut: 2 tbsp of fried peanuts, roughly chopped
- Scallion: 1-2 sprigs of scallions, thinly chopped
- Corn Starch: 1 tsp
- Peanut Oil: 2 tbsp
Sauces and Seasonings for the Recipe
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Sugar: 2 tsp
- White Pepper: 1 tsp of white pepper, freshly ground
- Soy Sauce: 1 tsp
- Oyster Sauce: 2 tsp
Taufu Pok Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
Chopping the meat, fish, and aromatics will take up most of the preparation time. After the stuffing is ready, we will move on to the cooking process. I will do one thing at a time so that it is easier for you to follow along.
Step 1: Prepare the Fish
Take the fish fillet and clean it thoroughly. You can soak the fillet in salt water for a bit but this is optional. After cleaning the fillet, slice it thinly. Then, chop the fish until it is roughly minced.
Step 2: Mince the Pork Meat
Like the fish, wash the pork meat well and remove any excess moisture from the meat. Slice it thinly and then chop the slices in a similar way you prepared the fish. The meat will also turn into a roughly minced pile.
Step 3: Chop the Aromatics
You need ginger, garlic, and cordyceps flowers to go with the fish and meat. Make juliennes of the ginger and then chop it. Then, chop the garlic cloves so that they match the texture of the fish and meat. Finally, chop the dried cordyceps flowers.
Step 4: Marinate the Minced Fish and Meat
Take the minced meat and fish in a bowl. Add the chopped ginger, garlic, and cordyceps to the bowl. Put 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp of freshly ground white pepper in the bowl. Also, add 1 tsp of oyster sauce.
Then, sprinkle some chopped peanuts and scallions on top and combine everything well until the minced meat and fish are coated in the cornstarch. This will keep the filling moist.
Step 5: Prepare the Sauce
The sauce needs to be thin at first. Otherwise, the taufu won’t be able to absorb the sauce properly. To make the sauce, put about two cups of water in a small bowl.
Add 1 tsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of oyster sauce, 1 tsp of sugar, and 1/2 tsp of fresh ground white pepper to the bowl. Combine everything well by stirring the sauce for some time.
Try Steamed Tofu and Shrimp Recipe
Step 6: Insert the Filling into the Taufu
Take a puffed taufu and make a slit on one side. Insert one scoop of the marinated fish and meat through the slit. Stuff each taufu in the same way. Remember, you don’t need to push the filling too hard. Otherwise, the taufu might break.
Step 7: Cook the Stuffed Taufu
Place a frying pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, drizzle 2 tbsp of peanut oil onto the pan and let it heat up. Put the stuffed taufu pok in the pan. The meat side of the taufu should be touching the pan at first so that the filling gets cooked properly.
After about 1-2 minutes, flip the taufu pok carefully. Cook the other side for another 2 minutes or until that side has a nice golden brown color.
Step 8: Add the Sauce
By this time, the taufu pok will be almost cooked. Add the sauce you made earlier to the pan and make sure the sauce reaches all the taufu. Mix everything gently and put the lid on.
Let the sauce simmer for about 3 minutes. It will thicken the sauce up and give the dish a nice glaze.
Step 9: Garnish and Serve!
Take the pan off the heat and plate the stuffed taufu pok. Sprinkle chopped scallions over the dish to garnish it. This savory, juicy stuffed taufu pok pairs well with salads and rice dishes.
Nutrition Facts of Taufu Pok Recipe
As I used both meat and fish in the filling, this dish will be more nutritious compared to taufu pok made with only meat filling. Take a quick look at the nutritional value of this recipe.
- Total Carbohydrates: 6g
- Protein: 51g
- Total Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Cholesterol: 17mg
- Sodium: 177mg
- Potassium: 56mg
- Calcium: 323mg
- Iron: 0.7mg
- Vitamin A: 19IU
- Vitamin C: 1.2mg
Remember, these are the standard estimates of nutritional values for this dish. These values can change depending on the variation in ingredients you use.
Taufu Pok Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Take the fish fillet and clean it thoroughly. You can soak the fillet in salt water for a bit but this is optional. After cleaning the fillet, slice it thinly. Then, chop the fish until it is roughly minced.
- Like the fish, wash the pork meat well and remove any excess moisture from the meat. Slice it thinly and then chop the slices in a similar way you prepared the fish. The meat will also turn into a roughly minced pile.
- You need ginger, garlic, and cordyceps flowers to go with the fish and meat. Make juliennes of the ginger and then chop it. Then, chop the garlic cloves so that they match the texture of the fish and meat. Finally, chop the dried cordyceps flowers.
- Take the minced meat and fish in a bowl. Add the chopped ginger, garlic, and cordyceps to the bowl. Put 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp of freshly ground white pepper in the bowl. Also, add 1 tsp of oyster sauce.
- Then, sprinkle some chopped peanuts and scallions on top and combine everything well until the minced meat and fish are coated in the cornstarch. This will keep the filling moist.
- The sauce needs to be thin at first. Otherwise, the taufu won’t be able to absorb the sauce properly. To make the sauce, put about two cups of water in a small bowl.
- Add 1 tsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of oyster sauce, 1 tsp of sugar, and 1/2 tsp of fresh ground white pepper to the bowl. Combine everything well by stirring the sauce for some time.
- Take a puffed taufu and make a slit on one side. Insert one scoop of the marinated fish and meat through the slit. Stuff each taufu in the same way. Remember, you don’t need to push the filling too hard. Otherwise, the taufu might break.
- Place a frying pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, drizzle 2 tbsp of peanut oil onto the pan and let it heat up. Put the stuffed taufu pok in the pan. The meat side of the taufu should be touching the pan at first so that the filling gets cooked properly.
- After about 1-2 minutes, flip the taufu pok carefully. Cook the other side for another 2 minutes or until that side has a nice golden brown color.
- By this time, the taufu pok will be almost cooked. Add the sauce you made earlier to the pan and make sure the sauce reaches all the taufu. Mix everything gently and put the lid on.
- Let the sauce simmer for about 3 minutes. It will thicken the sauce up and give the dish a nice glaze.
- Take the pan off the heat and plate the stuffed taufu pok. Sprinkle chopped scallions over the dish to garnish it. This savory, juicy stuffed taufu pok pairs well with salads and rice dishes.
FAQs
The following questions may come to your mind while making the Taufu Pok recipe. I tried to answer the most common questions so that you get all the answers in one place. Check them out.
What does Taufu Pok mean?
Taufu Pok is a type of deep-fried tofu. The actual meaning of this term is bean bubble. As the fried tofu becomes puffed, this is where its name comes from. This fried tofu is used in a lot of Chinese dishes.
Do you need to wash taufu pok before cooking?
It isn’t mandatory to wash taufu pok before cooking. If you want, you can soak the taufu in warm water for a bit and then squeeze the moisture out. But I recommend not washing the taufu to keep its texture pristine.
Is taufu pok healthy?
Of course. Even though taufu pok is deep fried, it contains a high amount of protein. Also, the amount of cholesterol in taufu pok is low. So, taufu pok is very healthy, especially for growing children.
How long does taufu pok last in the fridge?
Taufu pok usually has a long shelf life in the fridge. You should check the expiry date on the taufu pok package and store it accordingly. The cooked taufu pok will last for about 2-3 days in the fridge.
Conclusion
The moment you bite on the stuffed taufu pok, the juicy filling comes out and bursts onto your palette. That satisfying feeling is something that I don’t have words for. So, the best way to experience it is to make the recipe on your own. If you follow the recipe properly, it shouldn’t be a big deal.
You can also bring variations to the recipe, such as completely substituting the meat with fish or the fish with meat. Indulge in the alluring taste of the stuffed taufu pok and explore a new world of flavors.
