Stinky fried tofu and Taiwanese coleslaw 自製臭豆腐, 台式泡菜

Stinky tofu is a famous snack in China or Taiwan. It is the most popular snack in the night markets and street vendors. It's also my all time favorite. It is stinky, yes, stinky, but I think it smells so good! Good stinky! It is fermented tofu, that's where the "stinky" smell comes from. When deep-fired, they are so nicely brown and crispy on the outside, but still soft on the inside. It's like a piece of heaven!! However, the traditional way of processing the stinky tofu is not so clean and healthy. Also, it is not available at where I live right now. To feed the hungry bugs in me, I found this recipe online.

1. Mix 4 Tbsp of  Lee Kum Kee "Fine Shrimp Sauce" (李錦記 幼滑蝦醬) with one cup of water in a big container.

2. Cut firm tofu into small square pieces, and soak them in 1 for 3 days or longer.

3. When ready, blot the tofu on paper towel to remove the excess water. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve with cabbage coleslaw and soy sauce. 

The cabbage coleslaw is another key ingredient in this dish. The combination of stinky tofu and the coleslaw makes this a perfect dish. There are many different styles of cabbage coleslaw -- Szechuan, Korean and Taiwanese. It's easy to buy Korean Kim Chi at the supermarket, but it's very hard to make them at home. It requires many ingredients and long time to marinate it. Taiwanese cabbage coleslaw is easier. Again, I use Carol's recipe. 

Taiwanese Cabbage Coleslaw 

-- 2 lb. cabbage, cut into small pieces

-- 1 medium carrot, shredded

1. Mix the cabbage and carrot in a big bowl. Add 1 Tsp salt and mix well. Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature for the juice to come out. Remove the juice.

2. Mix brown sugar 120 g and rice vinegar 100 g. Pour over the cabbage. Store it in clean jam jars or Mason cans in the refrigerator.   

This is a must-try! It eases the miss I have to home.