Ló͘ Chhài-Thâu Tāu-Hū Khòng-Buh (Taiwanese-Style Braised Radish, Tofu, and Kelp)

Kelp

Recipe by Cindy Chou, RDN 周昀 (she/her/她)

This recipe is a flavorful dish with tofu, radish, and kelp (kombu) braised in a classic Taiwanese sauce. Both kelp and soy sauce add umami to this traditional recipe. It’s especially good served with rice or noodles or as an appetizer.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 ounces (57 grams; about 6 sheets) dried kelp (kombu)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2-inch piece ginger, thinly sliced

1 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

3 cups water + more for soaking kelp

1 medium (about 1 pound) white daikon radish, peeled, and cut into 1 1/2-inch thick half moon pieces

1 (8-ounce) package five spice tofu, cut in half (may substitute with extra-firm tofu, cut into 2 x 2 x 1-inch pieces)

5 sprigs (about 2 tablespoons) fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, coarsely chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large dish or bowl, fully submerge the dried kelp in cold water and soak for 10 minutes. Once pliable, remove sheets from water, and cut them crosswise into 3-inch long pieces. Fold each piece into 1-inch wide strips. Make three stacks of 4-5 strips and secure them together by skewering with a toothpick. Alternatively, you can tie kitchen twine around each stack of kelp. The soaking water for the kelp can be saved to use in soups or sauces later.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat canola oil with the sliced ginger, star anise, and cinnamon stick over medium-low heat until the ginger is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and water, then stir and add the prepared kelp, radish, and tofu. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir periodically to ensure the ingredients are submerged in the braising liquid.

3. To serve, remove toothpicks or twine from the braised kelp and cut each strip into 1/2-inch ribbons. Cut the braised five spice tofu into 1/4-inch thick slices (or serve as is if using extra firm tofu). Transfer the tofu, radish, and kelp onto a platter and top with 1 tablespoon of braising liquid and cilantro, if using.

Notes

Five spice tofu (sometimes labeled as "marinated/spiced bean curd" or "dry tofu") can be found online or at your local Asian grocery store in the refrigerated section where other tofu products are located. Extra-firm or medium-firm tofu may be used as a substitute, though the flavor will be lighter.

The braising liquid can be reused one more time. Allow to cool, store in a covered container, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. It works well with carrots, dried shiitake mushrooms, and peanuts as well.

Nutritional information
(per serving):

179 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 763 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, 12 mg cholesterol, 4 g total sugar, 5 g fiber, 13 g protein

Recipe Author

Cindy Chou, RDN 周昀 (she/her/她), is the Taiwanese-American chef, dietitian, and cooking video expert behind The Sound of Cooking®, where she shares Taiwanese recipes and other East Asian cuisine-inspired dishes with cooking videos that highlight familiar cooking sounds in the kitchen.

Explore other recipes!