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Dou Dou (豆豆)

Stir-Fried Luffa with Tofu — 絲瓜炒豆腐

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Luffa gourd (絲瓜) about 450g; peel thin, keep some green
  • 1 box Silken tofu (嫩豆腐) about 350g; firm tofu works too
  • 1 King oyster mushroom (杏鮑菇) large, roll-cut into chunks
  • small handful Goji berries (枸杞) optional, for color
Seasoning
  • 1 tbsp Cooking oil (食用油)
  • 1 tsp Salt (鹽) adjust to taste
  • 0.5 tsp White pepper (胡椒粉)
  • splash Water (水) only if the luffa is dry

Method
 

  1. Peel the luffa with a light hand, shaving off only the coarse ridged skin and leaving a thin layer of green. Halve lengthwise, trim any bruised spots, then slice into thin rounds about 3mm thick.
  2. Roll-cut the king oyster mushroom into 3 chunky pieces. Cut the silken tofu into small cubes along its grid; if it crumbles, that's fine — the curds mimic scrambled egg.
  3. Heat the oil over medium-high. Fry the mushroom until the edges are golden, then add the tofu alongside and brown one face before flipping — about 4 to 5 minutes total.
  4. Push the mushroom and tofu to the edges, add the luffa, cover, and braise 2 minutes. The luffa releases its own water — only add a splash if the pan looks dry.
  5. Add the salt and white pepper, toss gently, and braise on low about 3 minutes until tender. Scatter in the goji berries, cook 1 minute more, then turn off the heat and plate.

Notes

Buy a firm, heavy luffa and skip the cheapest ones — cheap gourd is over-mature and spongy. Silken tofu crumbles into soft, egg-like curds; use firm tofu (板豆腐) pan-fried first if you want neat cubes. Don't add water unless the pan looks dry — the luffa supplies its own. Add noodles (麵線) at the end to make 絲瓜豆腐麵線.