TOFU COMIDA RECIPES

Steps:

• To make the braising broth, put the vegetable oil, ginger, scallions, garlic, and lemongrass in a stockpot and fry over high heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the rest of the braising broth ingredients and bring the liquid to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1 hour. Strain the braising broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pot, discarding all the aromatics and spices.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until it is just beginning to smoke, about 395ºF. Put the tofu in the oil and deep-fry until a brown skin forms on the outside, about 5 minutes. Remove the tofu from the oil and drain it on paper towels.
• Put the braising broth, along with any leftover broth, in a saucepan and add the tofu. Set the heat to low and simmer the tofu, covered, for 30 minutes or until it has absorbed the flavors.
• Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool completely. Take the tofu out of the pot and store it, submerged in the broth, in a covered container in the refrigerator.
• Cut the tofu into ¼-inch-thick slices, pour a little bit of the braising broth over the slices, and serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, tahini, sesame oil, black vinegar, 1 Tbsp. chili crisp, and ½ cup water in a small bowl or measuring glass until sugar is dissolved. Set sauce aside.
• Toss cucumbers, rice vinegar, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl to coat. Let sit, scrunching with your hands every few minutes, until cucumbers are softened and lightly pickled, about 10 minutes. Drain and set pickled cucumbers aside.
• Wrap tofu in a clean kitchen towel. Gather ends of towel together and squeeze with your hands over sink to extract as much liquid as possible. (Don’t worry if the tofu breaks apart—it’s going to get crumbled up anyway.)
• Crumble tofu into a medium bowl (it should resemble cooked ground meat with some larger pieces). Sprinkle with cornstarch and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; toss with your hands to evenly coat tofu.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high. Arrange tofu crumbles in a single layer in pan; reserve bowl. Cook tofu, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Toss and continue cooking, tossing occasionally, until tofu is golden brown and crisp all over, about 4 minutes more. Transfer tofu back to reserved bowl.
• Add remaining 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil to same skillet and reduce heat to medium-high. Add mushrooms and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes; season with salt. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return tofu to pan and add reserved sauce; bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and divide among bowls. Ladle saucy tofu over noodles and top with reserved pickled cucumbers and more chili crisp.