The type of tomato I bought for making this dish are probably one of the best tomatoes I have ever had, almost seedless, flesh is dense and meaty. Sadly, except in some supermarkets, it is not our habit here to have different kinds of vegetables labeled. I tried to find out the name of them, but the stall keeper answered in a short, abrupt tone, ‘Meaty Tomatoes’, as if that was the most specific answer.
Whether or not the answer is elaborate enough, she is correct; so meaty are these tomatoes that two of them are enough for cooking into a pretty thick sauce for stewing.
I choose stewing than stir-frying because it is not easy to keep the tofu, silken type in particular, in good shapes if it is to be assembled with other ingredients by constant stirs. But, as the tomatoes are cooked into a sauce, I can have the tofu bathed in it gently.
I do like to add herbs to flavor tomatoes. My mind however changes as I also like variations. Here, I use Chinese celery as the replacement for added crunchiness. Like celery, Chinese celery is also a kind of vegetable, but comes with a stronger pungent flavor.
- Ingredients
- 2 each tomato, ~320g
- 1 bunch Chinese celery, discard leaves and dice the stalks
- 1-2 pcs silken tofu, ~300g (if you have any leftover tofu, here is a good use of it.)
- 8 pcs shrimp, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 cup water
- Certainly, rinsing is required before cutting vegetables
- Seasonings
- 1/3 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- Marinades for shrimps
- pinch of salt
- pinch of ground white pepper
- I use leftover shrimps from my fridge, for every 50g of shelled shrimps, it is prepared like this. I would add a bit more if there were some more left.
- Seasonings for tofu
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- Corn starch mixture
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 2 tsp water
Method
Dissolve salt in water for seasoning tofu. Soak tofu in the salted water for about half an hour. Right before cooking, drain off water, pat dry tofu and cut it into about 1cm cubes. I season the tofu in advance because it will be simmered very briefly in the sauce.
Make a cross cut on the skin of the bottom side of each tomato. In a saucepan, bring water (sufficient for covering the tomatoes) to a boil, blanch tomatoes for a minute or so. Heat off, spoon out tomatoes; let cool a while and you shall find it easy to peel off their skins along the cross, which actually cracks. Cut them into chunks and seed them if any.
Heat one tea spoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. Sautรฉ garlic until fragrant, then toss in tomatoes and stir fry, 1-2 minutes. Pour in half cup of water, turn heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes or when the mixture is reduced to about two-third of its original amount and most tomato chunks are broken down. Mash any bigger pieces of tomato flesh with a spoon, if there is any.
Stir in shrimps, Chinese celery (I keep one table spoon for garnishing), and seasonings. Lastly, gently put in tofu. When the sauce boils again, stir well the corn starch mixture, add it in bit by bit to thicken the sauce according to your liking. Move the tofu cubes to one side if you don’t want to mash them while thickening the sauce. Dish up, garnish with Chinese celery. I serve this hot with rice. Enjoy yours.
- Category: Featured . Shrimp . Tofu (Beancurd) . Vegetable .
- 25 comments
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It’s also labelled as “Fleischtomate” (meaty tomato) in supermarkets here… together with tofu and celery make a excellent veggie treat.
Mmm….a very healthy dish. I would love this with scallion pancakes. I’m not good is choosing the types of tomatoes to use. I just add in any type that looks nice, usually those still on the vines.
The tomatoes look perfect, meaty and fresh. I seldom come across such a good kind.
I cook tomatoes at three times a week for my family. Your dish is tempting, good for going with a big bowl of rice.
I love looking out for tofu recipes. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
@Angie, Thanks, I think I learned a new vocabulary : ). I often told by different stall keepers that theirs are meaty tomatoes, but they often turn out not so meaty. I need a skill to differentiate them!
@MaryMoh, Sure, I love scallion pancakes as well.
@Christine@Christine’sRecipes, I bet you must have more species of tomatoes to try in your place than here.
@Ellie (Almost Bourdain), Thanks for qualifying this as a keeper.
Great! Looks like a lighter and meatless version of “Mapo tofu”. I’m a meat-eater, but I do need this recipe whenever my mood goes veggie ๐
Hello! I wonder if the tomatoes are called Israeli tomatoes? They have them here at my local grocery store and your description sounds just like the ones we love and eat! Your tomato and tofu recipe sounds delicious and yummy! Will most definitely try it for my family!
@the lacquer spoon, Fine, between us, meatless Mapo Tofu will be the nickname for this dish.
@Patty, Hello, so it might be having the seeds originated from Israeli and planted somewhere in China : ). Thanks for your kind advice.
My son is a great fan for tomato. This recipe is surely a keeper for me. Looks very healthy and delicious!
@food-4tots, Also, thanks for qualifying this as a keeper. Wish your son and all of your family enjoy!
This stew sounds so tasty! I need to look for these meaty tomatoes to try!
Oh! I will definitely try this tofu dish…I am always looking for ways to cook tofu, which I want to increase in our diet ๐
Oh what a wonderful recipe! I love tofu. This looks simple to make, too. Bookmarked!
I want to eat this! And I like that you made it a stew. The tomatoes must have been simmered long enough to become that sweet-tangy-unami gravy to bathe the silky tofu. Just love the textures and flavors of this while I imagine. Yes….the Chinese celery may be too pungent and strong for some but when added in the right quantity, it adds that little special fragrance to the dish.
Will try this soon.
@5 Star Foodie, Good luck : ). I also wish to find them again as they are not available when I visit that stall again.
@Juliana, I love tofu, let’s share more.
@Sook, Take your time to enjoy.
@tigerfish, From what you have written for me, I notice I have wrongly spelled ‘bathe’ as ‘bath’ above. Correction done. Thank you!
if not for the tofu, this is almost an Italian dish … very tasty, compliments ๐ Hello!
I love this dish. Not only is it healthy because it’s stewed but it’s also easy to make too. Great over rice.
love all the ingredients in your stew. I would need second helpings coz I love food like this. And yes, best to use fresh tomatoes… yours look really big and “meaty” indeed!
I tried this recipe today and have to say my daughter and hubby love it! I love the combination of the ingredients too especially they are healthy. Though I have to say they do require some time to prepare and cook because the essence of my cooking is speed. Why speed? Here is a little about me and my blog if you are interested to know more – http://frommilkitchen.wordpress.com/about/
I also love your posting about your trip to Malaysia. It feels so warm to see posts about my home and I look forward to see some recipes from you perhaps on Malaysian dishes? ๐
[…] You willย find the ingredients and cooking method from this blog – http://www.tastehongkong.com/recipes/tomatoes-stew-with-tofu/ […]
@milkitchen,
This is an encouraging message to me. I’m so glad that both you and your family have enjoyed this healthy dish. Reading your situation, I must say I do respect your patient.
Yes, I have been cooking some Malaysian dishes, when I’m pleased and find the recipe good to share, I’ll get it posted : ). Welcome back!
Can’t wait for more posts from you. ๐
Sorry to bother you but this looks so delicious! But, how many servings is this made for? It seems like it might only be for one person. Right?
@Genki Kitty,
Please don’t mention it. I usually serve this stew with rice plus another veggie dish, so the serving is enough for both hubby and I. If it is served on its own, yes, better for one person.
[…] to our schedule, we make the Tomatoes Stew with ToFu Recipe that I found on the Taste Hong Kong website.ย Thank goodness it was a simple recipe that could be done with the challenge of no electricity. […]