Hope you all had a lovely Chinese New Year! Last night I made fried rice (not exactly traditional Chinese, but we take what we can get) for Bobby and tonight I made a traditional Chinese dish called Mabu Tofu (or Mabu Dofu).
I made a meat version (for Bobby) and a vegan/vegetarian version (for me). I bulked up both of them with veggies. This dish is typically served with just the Mabu sauce and tofu + meat, but I can’t make a meal without adding in some bulk!
The prep for this is incredibly easy because I used a pre-packaged Mabu Tofu mix. The mix can be found at most Asian grocery stores, and I got mine at 99 Ranch.
Maggie’s Simple Mabu Tofu (serves 4)
Ingredients
- 1 box of Mabu Tofu sauce (found in Chinese grocery stores like 99 Ranch) – 4 servings
- 1 block of tofu (approximately 14 oounces), chopped into ~1cm cubes
- other meat (optional – I added 1 chopped turkey dog, a slice of ham, and some chicken to the non-vegan version; basically whatever was leftover in the fridge)
- 2-3 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
- other veggies (optional – I used about 1 cup of broccoli and 1 cup of cauliflower in the vegan version)
Directions
- Heat the oil on high heat in a wok or large saute pan. Add the onions; saute for 1 minute. Then add the celery and other veggies, if using. Saute for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the tofu (and other meat, if using). Cook until heated through (I like to get mine a little brown and crispy), then dump in the entire contents of the Mabu Tofu sauce packet.
- Reduce heat to medium and continue to stir for another 2-3 minutes, making sure the sauce is well-distributed.
Enjoy plain, with rice, couscous, or another grain.
Did you celebrate Chinese New Year? What is your favorite Chinese dish? I like very traditional Chinese cooking. When I first moved to California (Union City in the East Bay) I lived in a house with 4 other people, and 3 of them were Chinese. The guy was an amazing cook and I got to enjoy everything he made – delicious spicy prawn soups (pre-vegetarian), perfectly sauteed greens, and some crazy bean desserts. It was so awesome!
TheSaladGirl Tweets
I am all for bulking things up!!!
I haven’t had a lot of authentic Chinese food, but I’m so intrigued by the red bean desserts.
wooooooo….. your mapo tofu looks so chinese!!! hahha…… So glad to know that you love traditional chinese food!
Oh that looks awesome!
Perfect dish for the new year!!
Oh lol, that is the same brand of mabo tofu sauce that I used to eat ALL the time in college. Mmm! Brings back so many yummy memories… =) Happy Chinese New Year to you too! I think my favourite CNY dish would have to be nian gao, that sweet sticky rice cake that is so glutinously sinful… yum!
yay for traditional chinese food! i’m not a big fan of chinese food…but i know my family is! i bet they’d love this dish!
your Mabu Tofu looks wonderful! I didn’t formally celebrate the Chinese New Year, but I do have a couple favorite chinese dishes – I am not even sure if they are truly authentic chinese, I love Singapore Street Noodles and Mu Shu.
heya,
i just found your blog a few days ago and i am loving it so far! i thought i’d finally leave a comment and say hi
your tofu looks delicious, and i’m always needing easy recipes, so i’ll have to give it a try soon…
-jenni
Love that tofu dish! Have a super day!
(sorry, I put my old blog on my ID the first time)
Your dinner looks delicious – here’s to adding bulk! I always need some veggies with lunch and dinner.
I don’t think I’ve ever had traditional Chinese food – it’s hard to come by in Nashville. I’m assuming Pei Wei doesn’t count.
Niiiiice dish! Sadly the only Chinese food that I’ve had is American-Chinese which is nicht gut in my stomach
Love the tofu dish! Thanks for the recipe! It looks nice and easy, my kind of cooking!
that dish looks so beautiful and delicious! i totally want to make it
my favorite chinese dish is teriyaki veggies and shrimp
have a wonderful day!
Wow, you did a great job with the New Year’s dish, love it!
That looks really good – Hannah and I love all Asian, I’ll have to look out for it.
Did you end up putting a veggie dog in yours? I couldn’t tell!
Happy Hump Day!
[...] over to our cousins’ house (they now live about a half a mile away) for dinner. They served Mabu Tofu (vegan), a chicken/bell pepper/onion stir-fry (delicious), sauteed bok choy, and white rice. I had [...]
I have a lot of trouble buying Mabu Tofu Sauce in my area in Plymoith Mass.I have tried the chinese markets in Boston but they do not respond well and they do not want to send it by mail or accept my credit card.
Can you send it to me or give me a place where I can buy it?
Please let me know.
please contact me for help in buying Mabu Tofu Sauce