Braised Clay Pot Vegetables with Tofu
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.
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.
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
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