Triple Soya Stir-fry

A trip to the Chinese supermarket is always inspirational; if you look past the dried fish and meat you will find there are numerous types of noodle, cartons of silky white handmade tofu, sheets and sticks of dried beancurd, plump beansprouts, unusual spice blends and herbal teas plus some truly amazing stuff such as douchi, which are  fermented black soya beans. I have quickly acquired a taste for these salty little delicacies, which are traditionally used as a seasoning, or to make black bean paste. (As well as tasting delicious, they can also help prevent high blood pressure, lower chloresterol and aid digestion. Be cautious of the amount of sodium they contain, however, if that is an issue for you.) This satisfying stir-fry contains a triple whammy of soya: tofu, beancurd and douchi. Despite this, it is still an easy meal to prepare and cook. I made vast amounts for my tribe- about 10 servings; you would probably want to cut the quantities down by at least half.

1/2 a small head of broccoli

1/2 a head of cauliflower

2 peppers (I used one red, one yellow)

300g beansprouts

1/2 a head of Chinese leaves, sliced lengthways (Chinese cabbage, not bok choy)

3 carrots or 3 sticks celery or a small packet of baby sweetcorn

3 tabs sesame seeds

200g tofu (medium-firm)

200g dry weight beancurd sticks- see Ingredient of the Month

ricebran oil for frying

dark soy sauce

Chinese five-spice powder

douchi for sprinkling

For the marinade:

the juice of 1 lemon

1 tab five-spice

1 tab ume plum seasoning

a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

3 tabs dark soy sauce

• Prepare the vegetables by slicing into strips/ small florets while you let the cubed tofu marinate in the above mixture.
• Break the beancurd sticks into pieces 1-2" long and cook in water until soft while the tofu marinates and you cut the vegetables
• When the veggies are prepared, shallow-fry the tofu cubes and set aside. I don't cook them with the other ingredients as the rough-and-tumble of stir-frying in a large wok tends to break them up.
• Drain the beancurd and put in a bowl with the remainder of the marinade.
• Now it's time to get going in earnest: start by frying the harder veg like broccoli florets first; keep them moving and ensure they get coated in oil. As they begin to soften, add the softer veg like peppers and Chinese leaves. Don't put in the beansprouts yet.
• Add the sesame seeds to the wok 
• Stir in the beancurd and marinade
• Lastly, add the beansprouts, and be careful not to overcook them.
• Adjust the seasoning to your taste; at this point I added 2 tabs more soy sauce and 1 tab more five-spice, but it's up to you. (You could put in some black pepper or chillis.)
• Serve over noodles or brown rice. I used thick chop suey noodles, and was careful to check the ingredients did not include egg.
• Scatter the douchi over the top.