Braised Dried Tofu (Lu Dou Gan)

卤豆干

Braised dried tofu (lu dou gan) is a Jiangsu-Zhejiang classic. Tofu simmers in soy sauce, star anise and five-spice until savoury. Ready in 55 minutes.

Ingredients

• dried tofu (xiang gan)
• light soy sauce
• star anise
• ginger
• five-spice powder

Instructions

1. Rinse dried tofu cubes under cold water. Place in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover by 2 cm. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat — do not boil vigorously.
2. Skim off any foam, then drain and rinse tofu with cool water. Pat dry with towels.
3. In a clean pot, combine light soy sauce, star anise, ginger, five-spice powder, and 500 ml water. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat.
4. Add drained tofu. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, turning gently every 10 minutes — liquid should reduce by one-third and cling to tofu.
5. Turn off heat. Let tofu cool completely in liquid — minimum 2 hours, ideally overnight — for maximum flavor absorption.