Microwave cooked tofu with meat
About microwave cooked tofu with meat
Microwave cooked tofu with meat is a very easy and fast dish. Simply put the seasoned minced meat on top of the tofu and cook it in the microwave. So it’s good to make when you don’t have time or when you’re tired and don’t want to cook.
I usually fry minced meat in a frying pan and add tofu, then season it. And this is also easy and delicious. But I thought it would be easier and faster, so I tried using a microwave oven. When you actually make it in the microwave, the cooking time is short. However, since each person portion needs to cook separately, the total cooking time is 5 minutes multiplied by the number of people. As you don’t have to stir, so you can make soup or do other things in the meantime.
Tofu is a popular food in Japan and other Asian countries. It seems to be nutritionally excellent. Below is a link to general tofu nutrition and health benefits, so please read it if you like.
Recipe Tips
Tofu types
There are various types of tofu. For example, Chinese tofu has a firm texture, while Japanese tofu contains a lot of water and has a soft and smooth texture. This recipe uses Japanese tofu. I usually buy silken tofu at an Asian supermarket, because this is the easiest to get and is close to Japanese tofu. I think you can make it with firm tofu, but it doesn’t have the same taste and texture, so use Japanese tofu as much as possible.
Seasoning
I use seasoning only for the minced meat. Since tofu releases a lot of water during cooking and the taste is diluted, add seasoning generously. However, the taste of seasonings varies considerably depending on the product, so I think it’s a good idea to add soy sauce after cooking to supplement the taste, in addition to a small amount at first.
I use Doubanjiang and Tianmian sauce, which may be unfamiliar to many people. You can purchase both sauces at Asian supermarkets. Doubanjiang is a Chinese chili beans sauce, If you can’t get it, substitute it with another chili paste or sauce. If you add a small amount, it will be spicy and delicious, but if you don’t like spicy food, you don’t have to add it. Tianmian sauce is a sweet bean sauce and you can use sweet hoisin sauce instead, if you can’t find it.
Hollow out tofu and stuff it with minced meat
Scoop a little tofu with a spoon and sprinkle cornstarch on the scooped part. Stuff the hollowed out part with minced meat, meat will not come off easily even during heating in the microwave. You can use the scooped out tofu as a soup ingredient. When I make this tofu dish, I make miso soup with scooped tofu as well. I’ll put a link about miso soup below, so if you like, make miso soup as well.
Microwave cooked tofu with meat
Equipment
- 2 x slightly deep microwave safe tableware
- a bowl
- microwave safe cling film
Ingredients
- 2 Japanese silken tofu (300g)
- 2 ~ 3 teaspoon Corn starch (sprinkle over the tofu)
- 200 gram Minced meat (pork, beef or mixed beef and pork)
- 50 gram Green onion (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger (grated)
- 1 teaspoon Garlic (grated)
- 1/2 ~ 1 teaspoon Doubanjian or other chili paste / sauce
- 3 tablespoon Tianmain sauce or sweet hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoon Japanese sake or Chinese rice wine
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Corn starch (for minced meat)
- small amount Red chili (shredded) for garnish — optional
Instructions
- Put the tofu in a microwave safe tableware. Scoop the center of the tofu with a spoon. Please note that tofu will tear if it is scooped too much.
- Place minced meat, 2/3 of chopped green onions, grated ginger and garlic, seasonings (doubanjian, tianmain sauce, Japanese sake, sugar, sesame oil, Japanese soy sauce), 1 table spoon corn starch, and mix well.
- Sprinkle cornstarch over the tofu. Roll the minced meat into a ball shape and place it on the tofu hole.
- Cover with microwave safe cling film, heat in a microwave oven at 600W for about 5 minutes, remove it from the microwave and leave for 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat this for the number of people. Check if the meatballs are cooked. When prick the meatball with a bamboo skewer, and clear juice comes out, it is done. But if you get a red juice, cook it in the microwave a little more.
- Sprinkle the rest of the chopped green onions and add chili if you like. Check the taste and sprinkle a small amount of soy sauce if necessary.
Notes
As long as you have all the ingredients, it will be ready soon, so please try it once. Thank you for reading and Bon Appetit !
