Tokwa is soya bean curd, which is popularly known in the west as tofu. Tofu is a popular ingredients in oriental cuisine so much so, that it is known as the Cheese of the East (Asia).
To be frank, tofu can be bland, so it needs a sauce, which should be strongly flavoured. Black bean sauce is great with tofu; strong dark soy sauce as well.
Below is a recipe that would highlight how tofu could be cooked and pleased any diner, even those with pernickety and fastidious taste buds.
Tokwa’t Kinchay (Tofu & Parsley)
Ingredients
1 stick or bar or slab of tofu (tokwa) 😉
1 cup trimmed and sliced string beans or green beans
1 cup spinach or trimmed kangkong (water spinach)
vegetable oil for frying
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp black bean sauce
1/2 cup water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion
ground pepper
small bunch of flat leaf parsley (kinchay)
Method of Preparation:
Cut the tokwa or tofu in fat slices, one stick could yield 4 to 6 slices. Of course, there is no school of thought that you can’t cut it smaller if preferred. 🙂
Gently fry the tokwa slices in the vegetable oil. Cook all sides until golden and rather crispy looking.
Drain using a paper kitchen towel.
Sauté garlic and onion.
Add the kangkong and green beans.
Stir in the black bean sauce and soy sauce.
Add the tokwa and pour in half a cup of water.
Let it simmer for a minute or two.
Add the spinach leaves (if using this instead of kangkong).
Finally add the parsley or kinchay. Give it a big stir.
