Dou Dou (豆豆)
This saucy, aromatic dried tofu stir-fry is the kind of weeknight dish that makes you want a second bowl of rice — savory, slightly sweet, and coated in a kitchen-made black bean garlic sauce.
这是一道香气扑鼻的酱爆豆干，咸甜交织、酱香浓郁，是一道让人忍不住多添一碗白饭的家常素食。做法简单，一锅到底就能完成。
📹 Watch the Recipe
From 野菜鹿鹿 Veggie Deer — a Taiwanese vegan kitchen sharing fuss-free, home-style plant meals:
🥘 Why This Recipe Works
Veggie Deer’s Rumi and Hsiao-Yeh make this the way Taiwanese home kitchens actually do — pan-fry everything in one pan, let the dried tofu get a golden, blistered edge, then toss it in a sauce you mixed before you even turned on the stove. That “sauce first” trick is the secret, and it’s exactly how the bustling stir-fry stalls (熱炒店) keep service fast while every plate still tastes like a family recipe.
The combination is timeless: chewy, smoky dried tofu absorbs the glossy glaze, while fresh green bell peppers keep a juicy, crisp bite that cuts through the richness. Folded into a mix of soy sauce, sweet soy paste (醬油膏), sweet bean sauce, and thirteen-spice, the tofu drinks it all up in seconds.
6 ingredients, one pan, 15 minutes — and it holds up beautifully as a lunchbox staple (便當菜) hot or chilled.
🛒 Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dried tofu — 豆干 | 4 pieces | Sliced; the firm pressed kind holds its shape |
| Green bell pepper — 青椒 | 1 | Sliced into thin strips |
| Old ginger — 老薑 | small knob | Julienned |
| Chili pepper — 辣椒 | 1–2 | Sliced diagonally; adjust to taste |
| Soy sauce — 醬油 | 1.5 tbsp | Base of the sauce |
| Sweet soy paste — 醬油膏 | 1 tbsp | Adds gloss and sweetness |
| Sweet bean sauce — 甜麵醬 | 1 tbsp | Fermented aroma, Sichuan-style depth |
| Thirteen-spice powder — 十三香 | ½ tsp | Warm, complex spice blend |
| Black pepper — 黑胡椒 | to taste | Freshly cracked |
| Neutral oil — 素油 | 2 tbsp | For pan-frying |
| Water — 水 | 2 tbsp | To loosen the sauce |
👨🍳 Instructions
Step 1 — Prep everything first
- Slice the dried tofu into thin pieces and cut the green pepper into slender strips.
- Julienne the ginger and slice the chili diagonally (or into rings).
- Have all vegetables ready before you heat the pan.
Step 2 — Mix the sauce in a bowl
- Stir together soy sauce, sweet soy paste, sweet bean sauce, thirteen-spice, black pepper, and 2 tbsp of water.
- Whisk until combined and set aside.
- Pre-mixing keeps you calm at the stove — no scrambling with bottles mid-fry.
Step 3 — Bloom the aromatics
- Heat oil in a wok or pan; the fire does not need to be huge.
- Add the ginger and chili and toss until fragrant.
- Remember 爆香 (blooming) is just frying aromatics in oil — no need for roaring flames.
Step 4 — Sear the tofu to golden
- Add the dried tofu and fry without over-stirring.
- Let each face sit so it develops a golden, slightly blistered crust.
- Constant tossing prevents browning and leaves it pale and uneven.
Step 5 — Add the peppers, then the sauce
- Toss in the green pepper strips and stir-fry until just softened but still crunchy.
- Turn the heat to high and pour in the sauce.
- Let it bubble and reduce — the tofu soaks up every drop.
Step 6 — Finish and serve
- Cook until the sauce clings to the tofu (leave a little extra for spooning over rice, or reduce until glossy).
- Serve hot over steamed rice, or chill for a cold lunchbox side.
- Great with three bowls of rice — don’t say we didn’t warn you.
💡 Tips & Substitutions
| Question | Fix |
|---|---|
| Can’t find sweet bean sauce (甜麵醬)? | Use hoisin sauce or double the sweet soy paste and a pinch of five-spice. |
| Want it saucier for rice? | Add an extra tablespoon of water and pull it off the heat a touch earlier. |
| No green pepper fan in the house? | Swap in snap peas or celery for a similar crisp bite. |
| Afraid of burning the spices? | That’s why we pre-mix the sauce — skip the last-minute juggling and nothing scorches. |
📊 Nutrition
Per serving (about ⅓ of the pan): ~210 calories · 12g protein · 9g fat · 20g carbs · 4g fiber. Dried tofu is a top plant-protein source for vegan cooks.
Ingredients
Method
- Slice the dried tofu into thin pieces and cut the green pepper into slender strips. Julienne the ginger and slice the chili diagonally (or into rings). Have all vegetables ready before you heat the pan.
- Stir together soy sauce, sweet soy paste, sweet bean sauce, thirteen-spice, black pepper, and 2 tbsp of water. Whisk until combined and set aside. Pre-mixing keeps you calm at the stove — no scrambling with bottles mid-fry.
- Heat oil in a wok or pan; the fire does not need to be huge. Add the ginger and chili and toss until fragrant. Remember 爆香 (blooming) is just frying aromatics in oil — no need for roaring flames.
- Add the dried tofu and fry without over-stirring. Let each face sit so it develops a golden, slightly blistered crust. Constant tossing prevents browning and leaves it pale and uneven.
- Toss in the green pepper strips and stir-fry until just softened but still crunchy. Turn the heat to high and pour in the sauce. Let it bubble and reduce — the tofu soaks up every drop.
- Cook until the sauce clings to the tofu (leave a little extra for spooning over rice, or reduce until glossy). Serve hot over steamed rice, or chill for a cold lunchbox side.
Notes
🌱 Why This Dish
The name 醬爆 (sauce-blast) comes from Chinese wok cooking: toss seasoned ingredients in a blazing-hot, sauce-laden wok so they “explode” with concentrated umami. It’s the signature style of Taiwan’s roadside stir-fry stalls (熱炒店), where each cook guards a personal secret sauce — the same one-at-a-time philosophy Rumi shows here.
Dried tofu (豆干) has been a Buddhist-vegetarian staple for centuries as an easily stored, protein-dense food that travels and keeps well. This rendition is naturally vegan and pairs perfectly with broken rice for a warm, no-fuss meal that takes a humble block of tofu and makes it the star.
