Easiest Way to Prepare Appetizing Fermented Chili Tofu

Fermented Chili Tofu. This Fermented Chili Tofu is a favorite with vegetarians but you don't have to be vegetarian to enjoy it. Whether it is in soups, marinades, or as a dipping sauce, it can be used in many dishes to add extra flavor, umami, and some cheesiness. In the case of red fermented bean curd, red yeast rice (cultivated with Monascus purpureus) is added for color.

Fermented Tofu (酱豆腐, 腐乳, jiang dou fu, fu ru) is also known as fermented bean curd or preserved tofu. It is a salty condiment in Chinese cuisine. There are many types of fermented tofu. You can have Fermented Chili Tofu using 10 ingredients and 11 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Fermented Chili Tofu

1. Prepare of Hardware.
2. Prepare 1 of Lots and lots of paper towels.
3. You need of Ingredients.
4. You need 14 oz of block of extra firm tofu.
5. You need of Brine.
6. It's 3/4 of cup of spring water.
7. Prepare 1/4 cup of of vodka.
8. It's 1 tsp of of sea salt.
9. It's 2 tbsp of sesame oil.
10. You need of red pepper flakes.

The most common ones are white fermented tofu (白腐乳) and red fermented tofu (红腐乳) for cooking. This Fermented Chili Tofu is a favorite with vegetarians but you don't have to be vegetarian to enjoy it. This deliciously briny and creamy tofu, which has been equated to a soft bleu cheese, is often served as a dip for fresh vegetables or simply a flavoring for rice in place of soy sauce or fish sauce. Unlike the very light flavor of normal tofu, fermented tofu has a strong taste and odor that some people might find unpleasant.

Fermented Chili Tofu step by step

1. Rinse the tofu under running water. Pat dry with paper towels..
2. Next, we are going to squeeze some extra moisture out of the tofu. Place a paper towel lined colander in large bowl. Place the tofu on the paper towels. Cover with more paper towels. Place a bowl or plate on top of that. Put something heavy on top and press the tofu for 2 hours. Discard any moisture that may have accumulated and pat dry..
3. On a large baking sheet, place a layer of paper towels. Cut the tofu into 1/2" squares and arrange on the baking sheet leaving some space in between each cube. Cover with more paper towels..
4. Cover with aluminum foil..
5. Let the tofu cubes rest overnight for 24 hours..
6. Remove the aluminum foil and the top layer of paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with red pepper flakes. Use as much as you want depending on your taste..
7. Combine the spring water, sesame oil, vodka, and salt. Mix well..
8. Place the tofu cubes in a 20 ounce container and add the brine..
9. Cover and place on a sunny window sill for 3 days..
10. Next, let the tofu rest in your refrigerator for an additional 10 days..
11. Enjoy with raw veggies, in a stir-fry, as an onigiri filling, or by itself..

The texture and the sour odor are sometimes compared to aged cheeses. Stir Fried Water Spinach with Fermented Tofu Stir-Fried water spinach with fermented tofu is a popular vegetable side dish at the Chinese dinner table. Garlic, ginger and white fermented tofu are all key ingredients for a good stir fried water spinach. Braised pork belly with red fermented bean curd is one of the most popular Chinese dishes that uses red fermented tofu as a key seasoning. Red bean curd, also known as red fermented bean curd (Chinese: 紅腐乳, 南乳, 玫瑰腐乳), has been part of Chinese culture for more than a thousand years.