The cool bowl I make when the block is firm and the bean sauce is open is this one – sauce-mixed tofu, and this home cook’s version tears the tofu by hand, scalds it one minute, and cools it before the sauce. A home cook wrote it in nine steps with the sauce in the fourth: light soy, cooked yellow-bean sauce, oyster, chicken powder, sugar, chili oil, and sesame, all in one bowl. I made it as written, and it is the cool, saucy bowl of the light table.

Jiang ban dou fu (酱拌豆腐) is sauce-mixed tofu – hand-torn firm tofu scalded a minute and cooled, then gently tossed by hand with a yellow-bean sauce, chili oil, and fresh chili, scallion, and cilantro.

What Is Sauce-Mixed Tofu?

This is the simplest of the cool bowls: a block of firm tofu is torn into pieces by hand – the rough edges take sauce better than a knife’s – scalded in boiling water one minute, cooled in cold water, and set aside. The sauce bowl mixes light soy, a spoon of cooked yellow-bean sauce, a touch of oyster sauce, chicken powder, sugar, chili oil, and sesame oil. The cooled tofu takes the sauce, then the chili rings, scallion, and cilantro go on, and two gentle hands toss it together.

For the silken version of the same cold-tofu bowl, my 10-minute silken tofu with Sichuan pepper oil needs no scald.

Why This Recipe Works

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• The hand tear. Rough edges that take the sauce.

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• The one-minute scald. Clean, then cooled.

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• Cooked bean sauce. The recipe’s note – use the cooked kind.

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• Chili oil and sesame. The heat and the gloss.

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• Two gentle hands. The toss that does not crush.

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Equipment Needed

• A pot
• A bowl for the sauce
• A large bowl

Ingredients

• 1 block of firm tofu
• 1 tbsp light soy, 1 tbsp cooked yellow-bean sauce, a touch of oyster sauce, chicken powder, sugar, chili oil, and sesame oil (the sauce)
• A few chili rings, scallion, and cilantro

Ingredient Notes

Tofu: Firm, hand-torn, scalded, cooled. The sauce: Bean sauce first – cooked, the recipe says. The herbs: Chili, scallion, cilantro, last.

Prep & Mise en Place

Tear the tofu; scald and cool it; mix the sauce; cut the herbs.

Cooking Process

Step 1 – Tear the firm tofu into pieces by hand

Tear the firm tofu into pieces by hand.

Step 2 – Scald it in boiling water – 1 minute from the boil – th

Scald it in boiling water – 1 minute from the boil – then lift it out.

Step 3 – Cool it in cold water

Cool it in cold water.

Step 4 – Mix the sauce: 1 spoon of light soy, 1 spoon of yellow-

Mix the sauce: 1 spoon of light soy, 1 spoon of yellow-bean sauce (use the cooked kind), a little oyster sauce, chicken powder, sugar, chili oil, and sesame oil; stir.

Step 5 – The tofu is cool and ready

The tofu is cool and ready.

Step 6 – Pour the sauce over the tofu

Pour the sauce over the tofu.

Step 7 – Add the chili rings, scallion, and cilantro

Add the chili rings, scallion, and cilantro.

Step 8 – Toss gently by hand

Toss gently by hand.

Step 9 – Into the bowl – good sauce-mixed tofu

Into the bowl – good sauce-mixed tofu.

Common Mistakes When Making This Dish

1. Broken, watery tofu. Cause: soft tofu or a hard toss. Fix: firm block and gentle hands. 2. A raw bean-sauce bite. Cause: uncooked sauce. Fix: the cooked kind – the recipe’s note. 3. A watery pool. Cause: no cool-and-drain. Fix: drain the cooled tofu. 4. A one-note saltiness. Cause: no sugar or chili oil. Fix: both. 5. A crushed bowl. Cause: hard tossing. Fix: gentle.

Variations

Spicier: More chili oil. No cilantro: Scallion only. My 10-minute silken tofu with Sichuan pepper oil is the softer version of the bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why tear by hand? Rough edges take the sauce better. Why scald it? Clean, then cool for the bowl. Why cooked bean sauce? Raw tastes harsh – the recipe’s note. How long does it take? About 15 minutes. Is it spicy? As spicy as your chili oil – and my silken tofu potage is the mild soup, golden pan-fried tofu the warm plate.

How to Serve

Serve cool – with 10-minute silken tofu with Sichuan pepper oil, cold tofu-skin salad, and home-style tofu for a cool table, or with red braised tofu and golden pan-fried tofu for contrast.

Storage & Reheat

Best fresh; refrigerate 1 day. Never leave out more than 2 hours. For the braised block of the same firm tofu, my braised tofu with bok choy goes warm and green.

Allergen Notice

This recipe contains soy (tofu, soy sauce, bean sauce) and shellfish (oyster sauce). It is free of gluten (verify the sauces), dairy, egg, nuts, and fish.

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 sauce-mixed tofu is the cool bowl of my light days, and the recipe’s hand-tear and cooked-sauce notes are exactly the details I keep. I tested it as written. I have not tested it with extra chili, 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.