XO Sauce Tofu
Hong Kong, Tofu Recipes

XO Sauce Tofu

ramyaramesh3007
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This saucey delicious fried silken tofu dish is adapted from the traditional non-vegan flavours originating from Hong Kong.

XO sauce originates from Cantonese cuisine from Hong Kong – the sauce in itself is full of flavour, mainly due to the concentrated taste of the dried seafood ingredients – this includes dried scallops, fish and shrimp, which are cooked with other ingredients like onion, garlic & chillies.

There is some spice to the sauce along with the rich taste of umami, including sweet, smoky, and salty flavours. This is a condiment you can use in many dishes including vegetables, noodles and fried rice. In this recipe, we will be making a VEGAN version of this XO Sauce and drenching it on some firm fried silken tofu.

The name is actually a reference to XO (‘extra old’) French cognac – which is a super costly drink that elevates your social status in Hong Kong – and because the XO sauce contains unique, classy and high class ingredients it’s given this unique name.

Ingredients You Need

  • silken tofu – a firm version of silken tofu that’s suitable for frying is perfect for this recipe: it may also be called pressed tofu. If this is not available, you can still use extra firm tofu!
  • vegan sambal or vegan shrimp paste – vegan sambal belacan (shrimp paste) would work amazingly in this recipe.
  • shitake mushrooms – shitake mushrooms add amazing texture to the sauce and a little more umami! (there can never be too much umami).
  • long green beans – chopped up nicely
  • condiments – dark soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, vegan fish sauce to add more umaminess.
  • spices – gochugaru, chili flakes or chopped red chillies.

The crispy tofu, vibrant beans, and an umami savoury sauce come together to create this iconic tofu dish you probably can’t get enough of.

Print Recipe

XO Sauce Tofu

This saucey delicious fried silken tofu dish is adapted from the traditional non-vegan flavours originating from Hong Kong.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese, Hong Kong
Keyword: tofu, tofu recipes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 300 g firm silken tofu
  • oil for frying
  • 5 shitake mushrooms
  • Few green beans
  • 2 tsp vegan sambal belacan or vegan sambal paste
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar
  • 3 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp vegan oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce
  • 2 tsp gochugaru or chili flakes
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tsp corn starch +1/4 cup water

Instructions

  • Drain the silken tofu and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut the tofu into 1.5-inch cubes.
  • Chop mushrooms and green beans finely.
  • Add the tofu cubes into hot oil and fry until golden and crispy on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the tofu from the skillet on a paper towel to absorb excess oil and set aside.
  • You can also air fry them for about 10-15 minutes until crispy.
  • In a skillet, add sesame oil and sambal paste. Sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant and add diced mushrooms.
  • Add condiments – dark soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, vegan fish sauce, gochugaru and coconut sugar. Mix well.
  • Add a splash of water and simmer for a few minutes. Add green beans and let it cook on heat for 3 minutes.
  • Once that's done, add corn starch slurry and wait for the mixture to thicken, stirring continuously.
  • Serve the XO sauce over the fried tofu and serve with white rice.

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