The LNY Feast: 5 Classic Dishes for Good Fortune!
Tired of the post-holiday food coma? š® Let the "Ultimate Protein Powerhouse" take center stage this reunion dinner! Weāve picked 5 easy-to-find and crowd-pleasing classic dishes to show you how the right tofu makes all the difference:
Golden Treasure Fried Tofu
Symbolism: Attracting wealth and gold. Want that perfect crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside bite? Our sturdy tofu is built for deep-frying or air-frying to a perfect golden brown.
šIngredients:
1 package of Natureās Soy Extra-Firm Tofu
Sweet Potato Starch or Cornstarch (for coating)
Salt and white pepper (to mix into the starch)
High-smoke-point oil for frying
Garlic soy paste, or Sweet Chili sauce for dipping
šInstructions:
Pat the Extra-Firm Tofu dry with a paper towel and cut into even cubes (gold brick shape).
Toss the cubes in your seasoned starch until evenly coated.
Pro-Tip: Let the coated tofu sit for 2 minutes (this is called "resting") so the starch sticks better and won't fall off in the oil!
Fry in hot oil at 180Ā°C until light gold and floating. Thanks to the extra-firm texture, you can flip them confidently without them breaking!
2. Mapo Tofu (Using: Natureās Soy Mapo Tofu Kit Mild or Hot)
Symbolism: A life of fiery success! The ultimate holiday "cheat code." Use our dedicated kit to whip up authentic, spicy goodness in just 5 minutes. Let your luck sizzle this year! š„
šIngredients:
1 package of Natureās Soy Mapo Tofu Kit Mild or Hot
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons ginger (finely minced)
3 tablespoons garlic (finely minced)
200 grams ground pork
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 Green onion (finely chopped)
šInstructions:
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.ā
Add the ground pork, breaking it apart with a spatula.
Cook until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.ā
Remove the pork from the skillet and set aside.ā
In the same skillet, sautĆ© the minced garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the Mapo sauce from the Mild Kit into the skillet with garlic and ginger. ā
Add the broth and bring the mixture to a simmer.ā
Gently add cooked ground pork to the skillet. Stir carefully to combine without breaking the tofu.ā
Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.ā
Sprinkle chopped green onions over the top.
For those who want a bit more kick, upgrade to our Hot flavor.
3. Prosperity Tofu Lionās Head
Symbolism: Family togetherness. Mash our Soft Tofu into your meat (or veggie) balls for a lighter, silkier texture that wonāt dry out. Perfectly round for a perfectly united family!
šIngredients:
1 package of Natureās Soy Soft Tofu, mashed
1/2 napa cabbage, sliced
1 small carrot, sliced
1 onion, julienned
200 grams ground pork
1 piece of ginger, sliced
2 green onions, cut into segments
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 egg
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
Enough breadcrumbs or cornstarch to bind the meatballs
800 ml of broth
šInstructions:
Mix crushed tofu, ground pork, salt, white pepper, soy sauce, rice wine, and egg until sticky. Gradually add breadcrumbs or cornstarch until the mixture can be formed into meatballs.
Shape the mixture into evenly sized balls and set aside.
In a pot, add broth and bring to a boil with green onion segments and ginger slices.
Gently place the meatballs into the boiling broth and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add sliced napa cabbage, carrots, and onion, and continue cooking until the meatballs are thoroughly cooked.
Finally, add soy sauce to taste and bring to a boil before serving.
4. Century Egg with Tofu
Symbolism: Peace and smooth transitions. The refreshing hero after all those heavy dishes! Our Extra Silken Tofu is silky-smoothāpair it with century egg or pork floss for a dish that symbolizes a year without hurdles.
šIngredients:
1 packed Nature's Soy Extra Silken Tofu
2 green onions (thinly sliced)ā
2 small chili peppers (take out the seeds and thinly slice) (optional)ā
2 century eggs (cubed)ā
2 tbsp soy sauceā
1 tbsp black vinegarā
1 tbsp toasted sesame oilā
ā šInstructions:
Prepare a bowl that you want to present and add tofu to the bowl. Top with century eggs.
Prepare a small bowl and mix all the liquids.
Drizzle on top of the tofu and garnish with green onion and chili pepper.ā
Serve cold as an appetizer and enjoy.
5. Fortune Braised Tofu
Symbolism: Good luck from the very start. The king of home-cooked LNY dishes! Our Firm Tofu acts like a "flavor sponge," soaking up every drop of that savory-sweet braising sauce.
šIngredients:
1 package Natureās Soy Firm Tofu, sliced thick
2 tablespoons XO sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 green onions, cut into segments
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn oil (optional)
A few drops of sesame oil
Salt to taste
50 ml water
šInstructions:
Add a small amount of oil to a pan and heat it over medium heat.
Place the tofu slices in the pan and fry each side until golden and crispy. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, sautƩ the minced garlic and ginger until fragrant, then add the XO sauce and stir well.
Pour in the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and water, stirring well. Add the fried tofu back into the pan and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes, allowing the tofu to absorb the flavors of the sauce.
Finally, drizzle with Sichuan peppercorn oil and a few drops of sesame oil, and sprinkle with green onion segments before removing from the heat.
Get your holiday prep started! Available at major Asian supermarkets & Weee! to stock up on Lunar New Year Must-Have Natureās Soy and bring fortune to your table!
