Hakka Style Stuffed Tofu

This hakka style tofu is stuffed with vegan ground pork, crumbled tofu, aromatics, seasoning and served with an umami sauce.

This stuffed tofu is a traditional and popular dish from the Hakka Chinese Cuisine – also known as Yong Tau Foo. You can find these stuffed vegetables, tofu and tau pok (dried beancurd puff) in many Hawker Centres in Singapore to this day. This dish is typically made by stuffing tofu with vegetables and seasoned meat or fish paste.

This version is completely plant based – we will be using vegan ground pork and crumbled tofu (from carving out the tofu) along with some shitake mushrooms, aromatics and seasonings. This dish is often served during family gatherings and functions – in this recipe, we fry the tofu and serve it with an umami-packed sauce.

Choose tofu with the right firmness so it holds shape when stuffed – pick extra firm tofu. Gently cut all four sides of the tofu and scoop out the centre with a spoon. Prioritise gentle handling during cooking to avoid breaking.

Ingredients You Need

• extra firm tofu – this is the only type of tofu that will hold its firmness in this recipe.
• ground vegan pork – I use the brand meat zero but you can also omit or substitute this with more crumbled tofu.
• shitake mushrooms – these are the juiciest mushrooms for the filling.
• aromatics – ginger, garlic, scallions
• seasoning – light soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, mushroom seasoning
• for binding – corn starch
• umami sauce – light soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, agave, white pepper, mushroom seasoning, corn starch
• garnish – spring onions

Gluten free substitutions: Use a gluten free plant based mince. Or you can just use crumbled extra firm tofu. Use gluten free soy sauce / tamari / coconut aminos. Same goes for vegan oyster sauce. Ensure mushroom seasoning or powder is gluten free.

Allium free substitutions: Omit garlic and spring onions. Substitute with hing (asafoetida) and chopped coriander respectively.