Stuffed Beancurd Puff

This is improvised from Hakka Yong Tau Foo. Instead of using beancurd puff, you may also use vegetables, chilli, bitter gourd, okra, eggplants etc, if desired. However, steaming would be a better choice compared to cooking in boiling water. If you like to add these stuffed beancurds to soupy dishes like soup and laksa, you may opt to bake them instead of steaming. As for the sauce, I had omitted the usual way of heating the pot with oil, stir-fried the shallot or ginger, to reduce work and oil consumption.

Preparation: 15 mins, Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients (makes 6-8 pieces)
° 6-8 beancurd puffs, make an incision on 2 sides
° 1 small firm tofu (beancurd), washed, pat dry with kitchen paper and mashed
° 1 shiitake mushroom, chopped
° 1 slice vegetarian ham (optional), chopped
° 20g carrot, peeled and chopped
° 2 sprigs spring onions or coriander leaves, chopped
° ½ fresh chilli (optional), seeded and chopped
° 1 tablespoon self-raising flour
° 1 teaspoon sesame oil
° salt, to taste
° pepper, to taste

Sauce
° 125ml water
° 1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce
° 1 teaspoon corn flour
° 1 slice ginger (optional), finely chopped
° pepper (optional), to taste
° a small handful spring onions or coriander leaves (optional), chopped
° ¼ fresh chilli (optional), seeded and chopped

Method
1. To make the filling: combine the mashed tofu, vegetarian ham, mushroom, carrot, spring onion/coriander leaves, chilli, flour, sesame oil, salt, pepper and mix well.
2. Scoop a tablespoon of filling and stuff into the beancurd puff pocket.
3. Arrange the stuffed beancurd on a heat-proof plate and steam for 5-8 minutes.
4. To make the sauce: mix all the sauce ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Drizzle over the cooked beancurd puff and serve immediately.