Yong Tau Foo - simple but irresistible!

steamed, fried, or souped up — I stay versatile. 🍢🔥

growing up in Singapore, Yong Tau Foo was a huge staple for my family and I, especially when eating out at food courts and kopitiams. while authentic Hakka Yong Tau Foo is made with a stuffing of minced pork, the ones made with fish paste, stuffed in tofu and a variety of vegetables are somewhat more common in Singapore, which explains why halal-versions of the dish are more widely available and accessible.

for me, the best thing about Yong Tau Foo is the being able to include more vegetables in my meals in a palatable medium. due to its versatility, Yong Tau Foo can be cooked in a variety of ways - boiled, deep-fried, pan-fried, in soup or even in curry laksa.

recently, I concocted this recipe of Yong Tau Foo where it gets pan-fried for a more dynamic texture and flavour, paired with a light taucheo-based sauce as opposed to the more popular sweet bean sauce.

Pan-fried Yong Tau Foo with Taucheo Sauce

(serves 2-3)

10-15 pieces assorted yong tau foo items of your choice (we used a mix of tau kwa, tau kee, taupok, red and green chillies and fishballs)
3 tbsp oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp taucheo
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 ikan bilis stock cube
1 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 spring onion, slices

soup:
1/2 cup dried anchovies (ikan bilis)
1/4 cup soybeans, soaked for 1 hour
1 chicken stock cube
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tbsp oil
1.5 litres water
salt and ground white pepper, to taste
2 spring onions, sliced

directions

• in a pan, heat the 3 tbsp oil on medium flame. add in the yong tau foo items and fry until the bottom side turns nice and golden. the flip over to the other side and fry until the ingredients and fish paste are cooked through. remove from then pan and drain on a paper towel.

• in the same pan with the remaining oil, sauté the minced garlic until fragrant. add the taucheo, oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauces and mix well. pour in the water and add the stock cube. simmer for 5 minutes until the stock cube has completely dissolved. add sugar and check for seasoning.

• mix cornstarch and water in a bowl and pour over the gravy. stir immediately and simmer until it thickens into a viscous sauce. add sesame oil and turn off heat.

• transfer the fried yong tau foo onto a serving plate and pour the sauce over. garnish with spring onion.

• to make the soup, heat oil in a pot. add in smashed garlic and saute until fragrant. then, add in the anchovies and saute for 1 minute. pour in water and add in the stock cube and soybeans. bring the soup to a boil and skim off any scum which floats on top.

• cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes on low to medium heat. season the soup with salt to taste. serve in a bowl alongside yong tau foo and garnish with spring onion and a dash of white pepper.

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  for more traditional Chinese recipes, check these out!: