The cold plate I make when I want tofu with a bite is this one – cold frozen tofu salad, and this home cook’s version boils the thawed block first so the beany note goes away, then squeezes it dry. A home cook wrote it in six steps with a warning in the fifth: the sesame sauce must be loose, because the tofu drinks. I made it as written, and it is the chewy, cumin-spiced plate that is nothing like silken.
Liang ban dong dou fu (凉拌冻豆腐) is cold frozen tofu salad – boiled and squeezed frozen tofu, cubed, then dressed with cumin-hot oil, scallion, garlic, and a loose sesame-soy-vinegar sauce.
What Is Cold Frozen Tofu Salad?
This is the frozen block served cold with a bite: thawed tofu is boiled two or three minutes to lose its beany note, cooled, and squeezed carefully dry – then cut into cubes or strips. Scallion and garlic scatter over it with a big spoon of cumin powder and a pinch of sugar; hot oil is poured over the cumin to wake it. Two spoons of tahini, two of light soy, one of dark, five of water, one of vinegar, and salt to taste make a loose sauce – loose, the recipe warns, because the tofu drinks.
For the silken cold-tofu of the same plate, my 10-minute silken tofu with Sichuan pepper oil skips the freeze and the chew.
110-Minute Silken Tofu with Sichuan Pepper OilThis 10-minute Silken Tofu with Sichuan Pepper Oil features creamy tofu drenched in a numbing, savory hot oil sauce. A fast, authentic appetizer bursting with flavor.Check out this recipe
Why This Recipe Works
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- The two-minute boil. The beany note goes, the chew stays.
- The careful squeeze. The dressing has somewhere to sit.
- The cumin-oil pour. Hot oil over the spice wakes it.
- The loose sesame sauce. The recipe’s warning – the tofu drinks.
- A pinch of sugar. Optional, against the vinegar.
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Equipment Needed
- A pot
- A bowl
- A strainer or cloth, for squeezing
Ingredients
- 1 block of frozen tofu, thawed
- 1 tbsp cumin powder, with a little sugar, scallion, and garlic
- 2 tbsp sesame paste (tahini), 2 tbsp light soy, 1 tbsp dark soy, 5 tbsp water, 1 tbsp vinegar, and salt (the sauce)
Ingredient Notes
Frozen tofu: Boiled and squeezed, then cubed – chewy, not soft. The cumin: The main spice, woken by hot oil. The sesame sauce: Loose – the recipe’s warning – because the tofu drinks it.
Prep & Mise en Place
Thaw and boil the tofu; mince the garlic and scallion; mix the sauce loose.
Cooking Process
Step 1 – After thawing, boil the tofu 2-3 minutes to lose the be
After thawing, boil the tofu 2-3 minutes to lose the beany note, then lift it out to cool.
Step 2 – Squeeze the water out carefully and cut the tofu into t
Squeeze the water out carefully and cut the tofu into the shape you like – cubes or strips.
Step 3 – Scatter scallion and garlic over the tofu with a big sp
Scatter scallion and garlic over the tofu with a big spoon of cumin powder and a pinch of sugar (skip the sugar if you dislike it).
Step 4 – Heat a little oil and pour it over the cumin to wake th
Heat a little oil and pour it over the cumin to wake the fragrance.
Step 5 – In another bowl: 2 spoons of sesame paste, 2 of light s
In another bowl: 2 spoons of sesame paste, 2 of light soy, 1 of dark soy, 5 of water, 1 of vinegar, and salt to taste – keep the paste loose, or it will not mix, and generous, because the tofu drinks.
Step 6 – Pour the sauce over the tofu and toss
Pour the sauce over the tofu and toss.
Common Mistakes When Making This Dish
1. A waterlogged salad. Cause: no squeeze. Fix: squeeze carefully after the boil. 2. A thick, unworkable paste. Cause: too little water. Fix: the five spoons – loose, the recipe warns. 3. A raw beany note. Cause: no boil. Fix: two or three minutes. 4. Flat cumin. Cause: no hot-oil pour. Fix: wake it. 5. A dry, thirsty plate. Cause: too little sauce. Fix: generous – the tofu drinks.
Variations
Spicier: Chili flakes with the cumin. No sesame: A peanut version, or skip for a soy-vinegar dressing. My cold tofu-skin salad is the sheet-tofu cold plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why boil the thawed tofu? It removes the beany note and keeps the chew. Why squeeze it? Dry tofu drinks dressing instead of watering it down. Why is the sauce so loose? The recipe’s warning – sesame paste thickens and the tofu drinks. How long does it take? About 20 minutes. Is it spicy? Cumin-warm, not chili-hot – my silken tofu potage is the warm soup to balance it, and home-style tofu the cooked plate.
How to Serve
Serve cool as a light plate – with 10-minute silken tofu with Sichuan pepper oil, cold tofu-skin salad, and home-style tofu for a cold table, or with red-braised frozen tofu and golden pan-fried tofu for contrast.
Storage & Reheat
Best fresh; refrigerate 1 day. Never leave out more than 2 hours. For the warm mushroom braise of the same block, my shiitake and frozen tofu braise goes golden.
Allergen Notice
This recipe contains soy (tofu, soy sauce) and sesame (sesame paste). It is free of gluten (verify the soy), dairy, egg, nuts (other than sesame), fish, and shellfish.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I am Jason Guo, a Chinese chef who has cooked professionally for more than five years – including time as a head chef – and now runs my own small restaurant in China, where tofu appears on the menu almost every day. This xiachufang cook’s cold frozen tofu salad is the plate I make when I want tofu to chew, and the recipe’s loose-sauce warning is exactly why the dressing works. I tested it as written. I have not tested the chili version, so that is your experiment, not my claim.
Authoritative References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for safe storage of cooked dishes.
Cold Frozen Tofu Salad (凉拌冻豆腐): The Cumin-Oil Bites
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- After thawing, boil the tofu 2-3 minutes to lose the beany note, then lift it out to cool.
- Squeeze the water out carefully and cut the tofu into the shape you like - cubes or strips.
- Scatter scallion and garlic over the tofu with a big spoon of cumin powder and a pinch of sugar (skip the sugar if you dislike it).
- Heat a little oil and pour it over the cumin to wake the fragrance.
- In another bowl: 2 spoons of sesame paste, 2 of light soy, 1 of dark soy, 5 of water, 1 of vinegar, and salt to taste - keep the paste loose, or it will not mix, and generous, because the tofu drinks.
- Pour the sauce over the tofu and toss.
