Tofu Ria

Name: Tofu Ria
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 50ml vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce; 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 2 teaspoons hot chilli sauce; 2 teaspoons Chinkiang black vinegar; 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Everyone loves tofu ria – delicious silken bean curd in spicy sauce – even the carnivores! In fact it is one of the most viewed videos on my YouTube channel and has been known to convert tofu haters! Best of all, it’s super quick so perfect for a simple mid-week dinner with steamed rice; add some stir-fried greens like sambal kang kong if you’re feeling energetic. Ideally remove the tofu from the fridge 30–60 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature, though this isn’t essential if you’re short on time. An off-dry Clare Valley riesling is a great wine pairing with tofu ria. I love Missy from Pauletts, it has a touch of residual sweetness to balance the chilli and plenty of fresh acid to clean up the rich sauce.

Serves 2 as a side dish or light meal

Ingredients

300g block silken tofu
1 tablespoon deep-fried shallots
2 green onions, finely sliced
Steamed rice, for serving

Ria Sauce

50ml vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons hot chilli sauce
2 teaspoons Chinkiang black vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Method

Make Ria Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a high-sided frying pan or saucepan that is large enough to hold the tofu (don’t add tofu yet) and stir to combine well.
Sit tofu in the sauce.
Place over low heat and simmer for 5 minutes, spooning the sauce over the tofu occasionally.
Carefully remove tofu, in one piece, to a serving bowl; cut into 8 pieces.
Pour sauce over the top, sprinkle with deep-fried shallots and green onion and serve with steamed rice.