Tofu with Woodear "Mu Er"

Tofu with "Mu Er"

Hello Whimsical Readers,

F~ A couple weeks ago, you had some Cold Tofu from my partner in crime J~ and this week I thought of sharing with you another one of my Tofu recipe. It is a hot dish cooked with chicken and a type of mushroom that is very commonly used in many Asian cuisine called Cloud Ear Fungus always more commonly known as Wood Ear from the direct Chinese translation "木耳" pronounced as mù ěr.

I like this mushroom because even after it is cooked, it still retains its crunchy texture. It might look somewhat unappealing because of it's brown and slight translucent appearance but I assure it is really tasty when you get it right. Sometimes this fungus comes in a dried form and has to be soaked in water for awhile before you can cook but the fresh ones should also be easily available if you know where to look. ;)

For those who are skeptical of Tofu as well as strange Asian fungus, worry not, this recipe should change open your mind about it. Still not convinced? Try it with a friend or a loved one, make an "Experiment Night" and if you really don't like it, I guess there's always McD's or Pizza. But you have to try it before you can hate it so here it goes!

Ingredients: Serves 2-3
2 tubes Egg Tofu (1 inch slices) Be very gently as the Tofu can be very delicate*
60 grams Wood Ear (2x2 slices or thinly sliced)
60 grams Chicken (small pieces)
3 Tbsp Cooking Oil
2 Tsp Sesame Oil (optional)
3-5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Method:
1. In a heated pan/ wok, add 1 Tbsp of Cooking Oil, fry the Egg Tofu until the surface is slightly browned or when the smoothness because somewhat rough (approx 2 minutes). Then, take it out and leave it aside.
2. With the same pan/ wok, add the remaining Cooking Oil to cook the Wood Ear for 2-3 minutes, followed by the Chicken for another 5 minutes.
3. At this point, bring the Egg Tofu back into the pan/ wok as well as adding in the Soy Sauce, Salt and Pepper. Then under a medium flame, close the lid for 2 minutes.
4. Just before dishing out to serve, add some Sesame Oil to enhance the fragrance if you like.

Enjoy!


Yours Truly,
The Whimsical Buddies