The saucy plate I make when the tomato is ripe and the pan wants one dish is this one – tomato-braised tofu and egg, and this home cook’s version scatters salt around the hot pan so the tofu never sticks. A home cook wrote it in twelve steps with the trick in the title: salt at the rim of the pan. I made it as written, and it is the saucy, fold-everything plate that is dangerously good over rice.

Xi hong shi men dou fu (西红柿焖豆腐) is tomato-braised tofu and egg – tofu pan-golden in salted oil, egg set in a sheet, and both folded through a tomato sauce and simmered with soy and oyster.

What Is Tomato-Braised Tofu and Egg?

This is the one-pan red plate: salt goes into the hot pan at the rim – the anti-stick trick – and tofu cubes are laid in one by one, browned slowly on both sides until gold, and set aside. The pan’s leftover oil sets a beaten egg into a sheet, out it comes; diced tomato cooks down to a juice in the same pan, and the tofu and egg return with light soy and oyster sauce and a little water to simmer. Scallion finishes it.

For the tomato-sauce pan without the egg, my pan-fried tofu in savory tomato sauce is the simpler plate.

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Pan-Fried Tofu with Egg in Tomato Sauce (Qie Zhi Ji Dan Dou Fu)

This easy 30-minute dish features crispy pan-fried tofu and fluffy scrambled eggs braised in a rich, sweet, and savory tomato glaze. It's the perfect comfort food to serve over steamed rice.

Check out this recipe

Why This Recipe Works

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• Salt at the rim. The tofu never sticks – the recipe’s first move.

“, ‘

• The slow gold. Both sides, patience.

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• The egg sheet. Set in the leftover oil, then folded in.

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• Tomato to juice. The sauce is the tomato itself.

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• A little water and a simmer. Everything marries.

‘]

Equipment Needed

• A skillet or wok
• A spatula
• A bowl for the egg

Ingredients

• 1 block of tofu, in cubes
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp each of light soy and oyster sauce
• A little salt, oil, water, and scallion

Ingredient Notes

Tofu: Cubed and pan-golden in the salted pan. My golden pan-fried tofu is the solo sear. The egg: A sheet, set and folded in. Tomato: Diced and cooked to its own sauce.

Prep & Mise en Place

Cube the tofu; beat the eggs; dice the tomato; slice the scallion.

Cooking Process

Step 1 – Heat oil in the pan and scatter salt at the rim – it ke

Heat oil in the pan and scatter salt at the rim – it keeps the tofu from sticking.

Step 2 – Lay in the tofu cubes one by one

Lay in the tofu cubes one by one.

Step 3 – Brown them slowly until golden

Brown them slowly until golden.

Step 4 – Turn and brown the other side; when both sides are gold

Turn and brown the other side; when both sides are gold, lift them out.

Step 5 – In the leftover oil, pour in the beaten egg

In the leftover oil, pour in the beaten egg.

Step 6 – Cook until it is set, then lift it out

Cook until it is set, then lift it out.

Step 7 – Add the tomato to the pan and cook until it releases it

Add the tomato to the pan and cook until it releases its juice.

Step 8 – Return the tofu and the egg

Return the tofu and the egg.

Step 9 – Season with light soy and oyster sauce

Season with light soy and oyster sauce.

Step 10 – Add a little water and simmer briefly

Add a little water and simmer briefly.

Step 11 – Finish with the scallion

Finish with the scallion.

Step 12 – Dangerously good over rice

Dangerously good over rice.

Common Mistakes When Making This Dish

1. Tofu stuck to the pan. Cause: no salt at the rim. Fix: the first move. 2. Broken cubes. Cause: rushing the turn. Fix: the slow gold. 3. A watery sauce. Cause: tomato not cooked down. Fix: cook it to juice first. 4. A tough egg sheet. Cause: overcooking. Fix: set, then out. 5. A salty plate. Cause: rim salt plus soy and oyster. Fix: light on the rim salt.

Variations

Spicier: A little chili with the tomato. More tofu, no egg: The simpler pan – see my pan-fried tofu in savory tomato sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why salt at the rim? It keeps the tofu from sticking – the recipe’s trick. Why set the egg in a sheet? It folds into the sauce without scrambling the pan. Why cook the tomato first? The juice becomes the sauce. How long does it take? About 20 minutes. Is it spicy? Not at all – and my silken tofu potage is the soup to go with it, golden pan-fried tofu the plain-sear plate.

How to Serve

Serve over rice – with pan-fried tofu in savory tomato sauce, savory tofu and egg stir-fry, and home-style tofu for a tomato table, or with red braised tofu and braised tofu with bok choy for contrast.

Storage & Reheat

Refrigerate 2 days; reheat gently. Never leave out more than 2 hours.

Allergen Notice

This recipe contains egg, soy (tofu, soy sauce), and shellfish (oyster sauce). It is free of gluten (verify the sauces), dairy, 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 tomato-braised tofu and egg is my one-pan answer to ripe tomatoes, and the recipe’s rim-salt trick is exactly what I do on a busy line. 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.