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Braised Clay Pot Vegetables with Tofu

Braised Clay Pot Vegetables with Tofu

This vegetable dish is not only vegetarian for the lack of eggs and meat but also vegan as it does not contain oyster sauce! The gravy is sweet and velvet-like from all the sweet notes of the vegetables, yet very tasty from the umami-ness of the shiitake mushrooms. The fragrance of the clay pot is an added bonus to this warm Braised Clay Pot Vegetables with Tofu dish that will fill your soul.

It is also simple to cook, with the majority of the effort going into prepping the vegetables. It is also very versatile, as you can add and remove any sweet vegetable as preferred, or as your pantry allows.

This recipe serves 4 to 5 adults, and goes well as a side dish, a main dish with rice, or as-is too!

Ingredients

Flour Slurry, made from water and tapioca flour to thicken the gravy, making it velvet-like. You can substitute tapioca flour with cornstarch; be sure to reduce it to 1/3 of the tapioca flour’s amount.

Sauce, made from water, light soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and sugar. Pre-mixing ensures all the seasonings are well combined as we will not be stirring the clay pot very often.

Unscented cooking oil, to fry the garlic until caramelized and crispy, and to carry its lovely flavour.

All the ingredients needed: water, tapioca flour, cooking oil, light soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, salt, green peas, shiitake and shimeji mushrooms, carrots, baby corn, tomato, Chinese cabbage and fried tofu.

Garlic, for its strong aroma and lovely caramelized flavour.

And an assortment of vegetables that adds a natural sweetness to the Clay Pot Vegetables:

Carrots are cut and sliced thinly into flowers; for sweetness and their bright orange appearance.

Green peas, with the tips and strings removed, for sweetness and bright green colour. Snow peas can also be used to substitute if unavailable.

Shiitake mushrooms are used for both their deep umami flavours and earthy fragrance. I used fresh ones, so light washing is enough. If using the dried ones, be sure to hydrate them in hot water for about 1 hour, or 4 hours in warm water.

Baby corn, which is cut into halves for sweetness and colour.

Tomato, cut into wedges. It gives a light tangy flavour to the gravy and is very tender once cooked.

Side view of the dish.

(White) Shimeji Mushroom, which adds to the umami-ness of the shiitake mushrooms and sweetness to the gravy.

Chinese cabbage, for both some green and white and a strong sweet flavour to the gravy.

Fried tofu puffs, for soaking the gravy up.

Steps

Here are the brief steps to make Braised Clay Pot Vegetables with Tofu:

Steps 1 to 4 of preparing the ingredients.
  1. Prepare the ingredients.
  2. Make the flour slurry.
  3. Make the sauce.
  4. Fry garlic until crispy, and remove from the clay pot.
Steps 5 to 8 of cooking the Clay Pot Tofu and Vegetables.
  1. Add vegetables, tofu and sauce to the clay pot.
  2. Braise the vegetables until softened.
  3. Top with fried garlic.
  4. Remove from the heat with a wet cloth or heat-resistant gloves.

Tips

  • Using a clay pot imparts a unique and appetising fragrance to the dish.
  • As it is a very easy dish, it helps to prepare all the vegetables in advance, so we only need to add them to the clay pot.
  • Let the clay pot heat up thoroughly in advance before cooking. It takes about 2 minutes.
  • Hover an opened palm over the base of the clay pot to feel radiating heat. This is to test how well the clay pot is pre-heated.
  • Do not touch the clay pot directly once heated; as it is very hot and will cause extreme burns.
  • A normal frying pan can be used for this recipe to replace the clay pot as well; do note that the fragrance will be slightly different.
  • Watch the video to see exactly how I made it!
  • The nutritional values do not include the serving of rice.
A spoon holding up tofu and pieces of vegetables.

Storage Instructions

Lunch’s leftovers can be left completely covered in the clay pot, under a food netting at room temperature (35°C or 95°F), for dinner. Be sure to reheat over the stove again for roughly 10 minutes, or until the gravy is boiling again before serving.

This dish can also be kept in the fridge once completely cooled, and transferred to an air-tight container, for no longer than overnight. Enjoy it the next day after reheating until it comes to a rolling boil on the stove in a normal pan.

I do not recommend freezing it as the texture of the vegetables will be affected by the ice crystals once thawed.

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Braised Clay Pot Vegetables with Tofu

Somjit Najaireeb
Tender sweet vegetables completely mixed with tofu puffs drenched in silky, tasty gravy and cooked in a clay pot for fragrance and ease of cooking. This vegan dish is perfect as a side dish with rice or enjoyed as-is.
0 from 0 votes
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 13 mins
Total Time 33 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese, Vegetarian
Servings 5
Calories 210 kcal

Equipment

  • Sharp Kitchen Knife
  • Chopping Board
  • Pyrex Measuring Jug
  • Clay Pot
  • Turner

Ingredients

Flour Slurry

  • 50 ml water
  • 2 tbsp tapioca flour

Seasoning Mix

  • 300 ml water
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp sugar

Vegetables

  • 50 ml cooking oil
  • 30 g garlic, minced
  • 70 g carrots, sliced
  • 70 g green peas, tips and strings removed
  • 110 g shiitake mushroom, washed
  • 90 g baby corn, halved
  • 85 g tomato, cut to wedges
  • 110 g white shimeiji mushroom, washed
  • 180 g Chinese cabbage, cut to squares
  • 100 g fried tofu

Instructions
 

  • Mix the tapioca flour with water to make the flour slurry until completely dissolved. Leave it aside.
  • Add light soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and sugar to the water and mix until well-combined. Leave it aside.
  • Place a clay pot over the stove and let it warm up for about 2 minutes over medium-high heat, or until it radiates heat. Test it by hovering your hand in the clay pot without touching it.
  • Add the cooking oil and minced garlic. Stir fry for about 1.5 minutes, or until fragrant and golden brown. Remove most of the garlic and place it in a heat-resistant bowl. Leave it aside.
  • Reduce the heat to low. Wash the mushrooms briefly under running water. Add all the prepared vegetables – carrots, green peas, shiitake mushrooms, baby corn, tomatoes, white shimeiji mushooms, Chinese cabbage, and fried tofu.
  • Pour the mixed seasonings all over the vegetables. Carefully cover the clay pot, and braise them for 8 minutes over high heat.
  • After 8 minutes, with heat-resistant gloves, or wet, thick, kitchen towels, open the clay pot cover carefully.
  • Stir to rotate the vegetables around. Cover the clay pot and braise for 2 more minutes.
  • After 2 minutes, open the cover. Carefully taste and adjust (optional).
  • Pour the flour slurry and immediately stir carefully to thicken the gravy. Switch off the heat.
  • Pour the crispy garlic with oil all over the gravy. Stir the gravy a little to mix in all the garlic and oil. Cover the clay pot and set it on a heat-proof coaster with heat-resistant gloves, or wet, thick cloth.
  • Serve with rice, or enjoy as-is while warm.

Video

Notes

Tips
  • Using a clay pot imparts a unique and appetising fragrance to the dish.
  • As it is a very easy dish, it helps to prepare all the vegetables in advance, so we only need to add them to the clay pot.
  • Let the clay pot heat up thoroughly in advance before cooking. It takes about 2 minutes.
  • Hover an opened palm over the base of the clay pot to feel radiating heat. This is to test how well the clay pot is pre-heated.
  • Do not touch the clay pot directly once heated; as it is very hot and will cause extreme burns.
  • A normal frying pan can be used for this recipe to replace the clay pot as well; do note that the fragrance will be slightly different.
  • Watch the video to see exactly how I made it!
  • Once completely cooled, it can be stored in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pan over the stove until boiling before enjoying it.
  • Not recommended to freeze. 
  • The nutritional values do not include the serving of rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 6gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 568mgPotassium: 304mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1729IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 230mgIron: 2mg
Keyword clay pot, easy vegetables, tofu, vegan, vegetarian
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